Atmos Defence Academy
by sepelise
Summary: Atmos Defence Academy – a unique school for teenagers. When the Academy receives a mysterious threat, the Headmaster calls in the aid of her niece, Kira, to go undercover and disable it. More detailed synopsis in first chapter. Reads like a YA novel.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey people. First fanfic here. Scary stuff. Anyhoo. All characters are human, set in our world in our time. Unfortunately, Radarr has not been included in this story. I have added a longer synopsis because 384 letters isn't quite enough for me.**

 **I do not own Storm Hawks in any way.**

* * *

 _Atmos Defence Academy is not your regular high school. Sure, the students wear uniforms and the school has familiar subjects like languages, history, and science, but the curriculum also includes combat, weapons, and strategic defence. The purpose of this school is to produce high-calibre bodyguards and secret agents, ready for the field straight after graduation._

 _Seventeen-year-old Jacklyn is a feisty new student ready to challenge the world and be the best bodyguard there ever was. At least, that's what her file says. In truth, her real name is Kira, a former top student, who is undercover at the Headmaster's request due to a possible threat within the Academy's walls._

 _One particular school guild, Cyclonia, is under suspicion due to its cunning captain and creator, Cyclonis. As straightforward as the investigation should be, things complicate when the captain's charming right-hand man becomes more of a distraction than Kira's willing to admit._

 _As she digs through lies, betrayals, and devious schemes, Kira rediscovers the complex layers of high school hierarchy, the meaning of true friendship, and the cost of deception._

* * *

The car pulled to a stop.

"Really?" I said, looking out the window. "Why aren't I going in through another entrance? A less... exposed one?"

"I'm just following orders, Kira."

I sighed. "Great. Nothing better than hundreds of eyes on me."

"You've been through worse."

"That's most likely true, however nothing comes to mind."

"Denmark?"

I winced. "I so did not need a reminder of Denmark, Gabriel. Not at this moment."

"You'll breeze through this assignment. I don't know why you're so wound up about it. As soon as you exit the car, you become one of them, and nothing more. A student. Just another student at the great Atmos Defence Academy."

I flashed him a smile through the rear view mirror. "You and your gift of the gab. You always say the right thing, Gabriel. Good thing too, because you're hopeless at every other aspect of your job description."

I opened the car door and stepped onto the footpath. The bright light, strong smells and deafening noise almost had me toppling back into the car.

"Good god," I muttered. "High school. Again."

* * *

The Academy hadn't changed much and I found my legs walking themselves through the familiar corridors. There were many looks and stares from the surrounding students; some curious, some wary. I kept my gaze ahead, avoiding eye contact.

The Academy was originally a huge mansion owned by some rich guy in the early 1900s, until one of the headmasters knocked down and renovated most of the buildings. Everything had been rebuilt in the name of security. If the Academy had to go into lock down, it would suddenly transform into an impenetrable fort. I'd seen it happen before, once.

I started up a spiral staircase, the walls narrowing until it was only wide enough for one person. In the case of an attack, it limited the amount of space so only one-on-one combat could happen. No overpowering in numbers.

A door shut from somewhere above and footsteps followed. Despite the downlights keeping the staircase bright, he still seemed to appear from nowhere. Tall, dark hair, and pale. His eyes shot to mine as he stood above me.

Red, red eyes.

"Well this is awkward," he said.

I smiled tightly and tried to move around him. Only he went the same way.

I sighed. "You go your left, I go my left. Sound good?"

"No problem, sweetheart."

I turned side-on and shuffled passed him, my skin recoiling every time he made contact. Once I was past him, I almost sighed with relief.

"Wait."

I paused and, with an eye roll, turned around. "Yes?"

"You must be new here."

My eyebrows rose. "Very perceptive. Now if you don't mind..."

"Right." He wouldn't stop staring at me. "Good luck, then. You're going to need it."

I'd almost turned my back on him when I spun around again. "Excuse me?"

But he'd disappeared around the curve.

I stared at where he'd stood for a moment longer before focusing on the task at hand. Up, I told myself. Go up.

By the time I reached the door with the word "Headmaster" engraved in it in bold capital letters, my pulse and breath had stabilised. I knocked twice and opened the door.

Almost immediately I came face to face with the Headmaster's assistant, a young woman behind a desk who stared me down as I entered. I didn't recognise her; she was new, clearly. Her predecessor never looked up when someone entered yet he'd been impossible to get the upper hand on.

I approached the woman. "I'm here to see Headmaster Creed. I'm expected."

"Name?" She held her pen close to her face, not quite casual enough to hide the slight threat of it.

"I'm expected," I repeated.

She glanced at her list. "Sorry, no one by that name on here."

I counted to three in my head. When I met her gaze again, my smile held an edge to it. "Listen closely–" I looked at her name badge "–Linda, if you look at your boss's schedule you will find that there is a blank space at eight thirty. Fairly unusual for a person of such importance, don't you think?"

She shrugged, completely unfazed. "I'm still not letting you in."

She still held her pen up, and the nature of the gesture felt like a mosquito bite. Before I could make a move for the pen, the door behind her opened.

"Linda, she's expected." The woman was tall and rigid, her gaze drilling holes into anything that breathed. She was one hell of an intimidating figure.

Glaring at the assistant, I moved past her and into the headmaster's office. Once the door shut behind me, I waited for the imposing woman to return to a desk that put perfectionists to shame. It had everything you'd expect a desk would have: a computer, stationery, and paper. The difference was that every space was calculated, from the space between pencils to the space from the stack of paper to the edge of the desk.

It made me want to push the paper stack over and up end the rubbish bin on it.

"Have you done any paper work since I've been here? Because I swear it looks exactly the same."

She tutted. "I see your humour hasn't changed."

"You sound surprised."

"At least it suits you now. You've definitely changed otherwise since you were eleven."

"A lot can happen in six years."

She sat down behind the desk and gestured for me to take a seat. "So it can."

"Why am I here, Creed? You've been incredibly vague with your correspondence."

"I need your help, Kira. The Academy's not safe anymore, and I need someone to locate where the threat is coming from."

"Why can't you find it?"

"I've done all I can from where I sit, but I need someone on the inside. I'm fairly sure it's one of the students here, but I have no evidence of who it is or what the threat is."

"What makes you so sure there is a threat?"

Creed opened a desk drawer and pulled out a file. "This is your assignment. It has everything you need, including the clues and the tip off we've received."

"Someone tipped you off?"

She passed the file to me. "Just read it. It also includes your new identity. Temporary, of course."

I opened the file to find a recent picture of me staring back. "Jacklyn? Do I look like a Jacklyn?"

"I think you could look like anyone you wanted to."

"What about a last name? Why's that missing?"

Creed stood up and turned to pace behind her chair, her hands clasped behind her back. "Atmos Defence is a unique school, as you know. A lot has changed since you've been here. Student last names are no longer common knowledge; they all start their education here with their first names only, until they create their own names for themselves. You'll find that the oldest students won't use their real names anymore."

"Interesting."

"Students also carry around ID with them, as a confirmation that they are indeed a student here, so we'll need a new photo of you since you've changed your hair."

I tugged a strand of hair from my ponytail and twisted it between my fingers. "I was going for the blond beach babe look."

"So I see. But you might want to consider cutting your hair shorter. I've had any images of you removed from the Academy's walls, but anyone could remember a young girl with long dark hair."

I snorted. "Fine. Back to the assignment."

Creed turned to rest a hand on the back of her chair. "Since you left, the number of guilds here have doubled. One of them in particular may have connections to this threat, possibly the guild captain and her closest allies."

I flipped through the file. "The guild's name is Cyclonia? Where'd they get a name like that?" I read on. "Oh, right. Guild captain... Cyclonis. I must admit that the students here now are far more creative than before."

"Flip the page," said Creed.

I did so and froze.

"Do you recognise him?"

"Uh..." I cleared my throat. "Yes. I met him on the staircase on my way here. Wait, so he's a suspect?"

"Indeed. He's Cyclonis's right-hand man. He's proven his loyalty to her countless times, almost concluding in his own expulsion once."

"Sounds intense."

"Kira, on another note: I know you can blend in well, but you must be warned of a few things first. These students are not morons." She hesitated. "At least ninety-eight percent of them, anyway. Do not slip up in front of them, because they will piece it together eventually. Also, there are three main forms of fighting taught here: hand-to-hand, firearms, and blades. Here, the experts are nicknamed masters; our top students have mastered no more than two each."

"So I'm guessing a master of three would stand out?"

"Yes. Choose one form only."

I groaned.

She continued pacing. "Don't start being childish now, Kira. You'll need all your focus for your new identity."

I shut the file, taking in a deep breath. "So basically, I'm to find the threat, infiltrate it, and report back to you. Am I to take action against it?"

"No. Report back first."

"What if I'm short for time and have to deactivate a bomb? Do I still report back first?"

Creed's eyes sliced through me. "I have a separate room prepared for you, but tomorrow night you will resume the life of a student here and share a room with another. Linda will show you where your room is. You're dismissed."

I stood with the file in hand, and mock-saluted her with my other. "Good to see you again, Auntie Creed."

"You too, Kira."

* * *

 **A/N: I love constructive feedback. If there's something you think really works or something that really doesn't, please speak up. Comments are the best, because it means someone read it. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Back again. Really appreciate everyone who read the first chapter, and a big thank you for those who took the time to review it - feel free to keep reviewing ;)  
**

 **So this chapter is more about understanding who Kira is and her assignment. Also from here on, Storm Hawk fans may recognise some direct/altered quotes from the series.**

 **I do not own Storm Hawks (unfortunately).**

* * *

I unlocked the wooden door which swung open with a drawn-out groan.

"Fantastic," I muttered.

Despite the fact that the room looked like a scary old attic, there was no dust in sight. The floorboards were worn smooth from decades of use and the metal bed reminded me of something from the fifties. Nothing in the room looked new, let alone purchased this century.

Someone had dumped my suitcase at the end of the bed. I dropped the file on the bed and crouched to shuffle through my case. It carried only clothes and essential items. Nothing personal. I found my scissors, moved over to a full-length mirror in the corner of the room, and retied my hair on top of my head before raising the scissors. I held the ponytail up straight into the air, calculating how far up I'd need to cut to make the hair chin-length.

Steeling myself, I put the hair between the blades and snipped. Blond hair fell around my face, slightly longer than expected. I was no hairdresser, but somehow I'd done it. I was trimming the rough edges when there was a knock on the door.

I stiffened. Creed hadn't mentioned anyone checking up on me. I stuffed the scissors and cut ponytail into my suitcase. I wiped my hands on my jeans as I approached the door.

"Who's there?" I called.

A pause. "The ridiculously handsome guy you met on a staircase."

I blanched. "How'd you find me?"

"I saw you so I followed you. Can you open the door so I can talk to your face, sweetheart?"

I cracked open the door a fraction. "Are you stalking me?"

He laughed. "Nope. I just wanted to welcome you to Atmos. Officially, I mean."

I opened the door a bit more. "The Headmaster's already welcomed me officially, so you can go."

His red eyes widened. "What happened to your hair?"

"What do you think happened? I cut it."

I pulled back when he reached for my hair.

He cleared his throat. "Sorry. I should introduce myself. I'm Dark Ace."

"Unusual name."

"It's a nickname. Everyone has one here, and I imagine you will, too."

"Huh. I'm Jacklyn."

"Pleasure to meet you. Since you're new, allow me to give you some advice: This Academy is not for the weak-hearted. Your grades are determined by skill, and teachers don't accept bribes or blackmail." He smirked at that. "Trust me, I've tried."

I opened the door fully and leaned against the doorframe. "And what about the students?"

His smirk faded. "What about the students?"

"Can they be bribed and blackmailed?"

A smile crept onto his face. "I like you already. And the answer is yes, for most of them."

"Good," I said, and slammed the door in his face. I waited for his departing footsteps before returning to the file on my bed. I needed to be familiar with this assignment by tomorrow morning, giving me less than twenty-four hours to become Jacklyn, the new Atmos Defence Academy student. More than enough time.

* * *

One of the hardest decisions was choosing which fighting skill to be good at. Hand-to-hand combat was my favourite but I felt that Jacklyn the student would rather a weapon other than her own body. Firearms felt like the easy option, so I settled on blades: knives, daggers, swords, throwing knives... the whole lot. But how good should I be? How much attention would Jacklyn catch if she was a master at it?

I picked out my hairbrush and started flipping it in my hand, relying on muscle memory to do the work for me. It had been a while since I'd used a blade for defence. Probably not since... Denmark.

God damn it, why did Gabriel have to bring up that place again? I threw the brush spinning at the furthest wall. It hit the wood on its head, and the sound shot back at me.

I frowned. It sounded... hollow?

I approached the wall and tapped in different places. It was hollow all right. But the shape of the space behind the wall corresponded to the shape of a fireplace. Interesting.

I spent my free time getting into character, studying, and training. While the Academy focused on skills generally found in bodyguards, it was still a school for thirteen to seventeen year olds. I had to take classes like science, languages, and history. Though to be fair, science also taught about poisons and cures, pressure points on the human body, smoke bombs and deadly bombs – you have to know how a bomb is built to safely disarm it.

While the whole purpose of the school was to produce the best bodyguards and secret agents, not everyone graduated with that possibility in their future. Atmos Defence could help you get that little bit further, but everything was up to you and your determination.

Since Headmaster Creed is my aunt, I was a special case. In a school full of teenagers, I'd graduated when I was eleven. I had a job as a bodyguard within a year. I was certain that it had been a joke – who'd want a twelve year-old to protect them? But it had been the daughter of a very powerful man who asked me. I accepted and took on the role of her newly adopted daughter.

I followed her around everywhere. She took me shopping and bought me ice cream. It was good. But then her father found out and sent someone to test my skills.

I sent him back in a body bag.

I dropped my eyes to the file again. Still a better memory than Denmark, I thought grimly.

I flipped to the assignment details. A tip from an unknown source stated that a deadly tornado was brewing within the Academy. Vague, but any threat against the Academy was taken seriously until it was solved. Clearly this one was taking a bit longer to do so.

A couple of odd clues were noted beneath the tip. One was that an extra handgun had been found in the armoury, but there was no lead as to where it had come from. Another was a report that a mouse from the science lab went missing – multiple times. It would show up the next day as if nothing had happened. Lastly, a prank in the greenhouse gone wrong, causing many plants to wither and die and… turn blue. I shook my head.

Odd. The extra gun seemed like the real mystery, as it was an impressive feat to smuggle something like that into the school.

I read through some minor details and then flipped to the profiles of the suspects.

 _Cyclonis: female, seventeen. Guild captain of Guild Cyclonia. Single child. Fighting skills mastered in hand-to-hand, blades, and bow staff. Top student in all classes._

I flipped the page, and those red eyes met mine.

 _Dark Ace: male, seventeen. Member of Guild Cyclonia. Single child. Fighting skills mastered in hand-to-hand and firearms. Excellent student in all classes. Extra note: Troublesome attitude._

Two more suspects were siblings Ravess and Snipe. Ravess was a master with a bow and arrow – unusual – while Snipe preferred to use a bludgeon of some sort, like a baseball bat. Neither had mastered any of the three main fighting skills, though both were competent in hand-to-hand.

After them, there was quite an army of members. As I skimmed through the list of names, I realised that Guild Cyclonia must take up half the school. For a school that barely had three hundred students each year, it was huge; possibly the biggest guild the Academy's ever seen.

* * *

 **A/N: Ta da! So again, please favourite, follow, etc. if you're enjoying it, and review it regardless. ;)  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: The third chapter is quite long compared to the first two, but Kira (aka Jacklyn) finally meets several other characters ;)**

 **I do not own Storm Hawks.**

* * *

The following morning, I was awoken by a blaring siren at six. I jumped out of bed, instantly thinking it the fire alarm. When the sound only lasted a few seconds, it dawned on me: the wakeup call. I'd totally forgotten. I grabbed my class schedule but it only confirmed that classes started at eight.

"That can't be it," I muttered, and flipped the page over.

Breakfast: 6am. Morning warm-ups: 6.30am. Now that made more sense.

I didn't have a uniform yet, so I changed into a black tank top and grey track pants. Hopefully I wouldn't stand out too much. Then I took a deep breath and steeled my nerves for the coming onslaught of curious eyes. I hated being the new kid.

I made my way to the cafeteria, wary of everything. The first student I saw wore a navy blue polo shirt and light grey pants, and it finally hit me that that was the outfit I'd be wearing for the next couple of weeks. Could be worse.

By the time I'd reached the cafeteria, the noise level had gone from a peaceful quiet to a cacophony of voices talking, laughing, calling out, and even whistling.

Oh wait, that was directed at me. I spotted the blond-haired, blue-eyed whistler grinning at me from across the room. I turned my back on him and lined up for breakfast.

When my plate was full, the next challenge was finding a seat. No one had said a word to me yet – whistling not counted – so I had no indication if anyone was looking for a new breakfast buddy. I scanned the room, but there were few spots left. I heard the whistle again and found the whistler motioning to his table. For lack of a better offer, I weaved between the tables and approached him and his group.

"Hey, new girl. Looks like you need a seat," he said, and patted the spot beside him.

"Thanks," I said, and sat. I looked around the group, all eyes on me.

"I'm Finn, by the way," said the whistler, "but most people call me the Finnster."

A blue-haired girl opposite me leaned forward. "Nobody calls you that except you, Finn." She turned to me. "I'm Piper."

The redhead beside her said, "I'm Aerrow, guild captain, and the other two are Stork and Junko."

"Jacklyn," I said. "Thanks for the seat."

"No problem," said Aerrow. "What year are you in?"

"Fifth."

His eyebrows rose. "Same as us. It's unusual to transfer here so late – what school did you come from?"

"I didn't. I was home-schooled by my uncle."

"What!" said Piper. "But this is the hardest year to complete. How can you suddenly dive into the deep end without any prior experience in defence?"

"I do have experience, but it's just second hand. My uncle graduated from here years ago, and I wanted a new challenge."

Finn shook his head. " _Dude_."

"You must have loads of questions," said Piper. "Ask me any time you want; I'll gladly answer them."

I nodded.

"And if you need help with homework, I can do that, too," she added.

Aerrow asked, "What fighting skills do you have?"

"I'm good at blades."

"Me too! We should compete some time."

"Sure."

"Are you good with firearms?" asked Finn. "Because I'm what they call a sharpshooter – I never miss!"

"Sounds good." Admittedly, I felt a little overwhelmed with the kindness, but I was waiting for Stork and Junko to participate so I could get a sense of character from them. Stork had a gothic edge to his appearance while Junko had the physique of a body builder.

"So what guild do you belong to?" I asked.

Piper answered. "We're the Storm Hawks."

The name was familiar. "Is that a new guild?"

"Oh no, it's been around for decades. In fact, several years back, it was the best guild in the entire school with all the top students. Of course they've all graduated and moved on."

"And now the guild has me, so you just know it's gotten better," said Finn with a wink.

I looked to the remaining two members. "So Stork and... Junko, was it? What are your skills here?"

Junko chuckled nervously. "Well, I'm no master yet, but I've got some strength to make up for that."

I looked to Stork, who sighed. "Fighting isn't my forte either, but get me behind the wheel..."

The hairs on my arms raised as his eyes glinted. I cleared my throat. "Driving is a fantastic skill – I have no doubt you're many times better than I am."

He shrugged, but the compliment sunk in when he smiled a fraction.

"Who could possibly be better than you at this table?" said a snide familiar voice.

I looked up to see Dark Ace towering above me.

Aerrow stood. "You're not welcome here, Dark Ace. You know that."

"I certainly do. But don't be surprised when I say this isn't about you, Aerrow. I've come to ask Jacklyn if she'd like to join me at my table."

Aerrow's eyes flew to mine. "You know him?"

I winced. "'Know' is a strong word."

"She's not interested, Dark Ace," said Piper.

Dark Ace tutted. "Jacklyn, I didn't see you as a person who let others talk for you."

I stood to meet his red eyes. "I'm not. But you see, I've already settled and I'd rather not get up again."

His lips thinned. "I guess I'll see you around, sweetheart."

I sat down as he walked away, unable to help myself admiring the strength behind his movements. When I turned back to the others, they were all staring at me. "What?"

"Sweetheart?" repeated Piper.

I rolled my eyes. "I have no idea. He just started calling me that when I first met him." They still stared at me, so I continued, "What? You want me to report him for sexist nicknaming?"

"You can if you want," said Piper.

I paused, realising that she'd taken it literally. "I was joking. If a little name can get me seeing red, then I wouldn't be here."

"Speaking of which," Stork spoke up, "you've got five minutes to finish your breakfast before the next siren."

* * *

I walked next to Piper as we made our way to the Academy's grass oval where the morning warm-ups took place.

"So what poor soul teaches this class?" I asked.

She grinned. "You'll never guess. Have you, by any chance, heard of I. J. Domiwick?"

I stopped in my tracks. "You're kidding."

"Nope!" She grabbed my arm and pulled me along. "Famous explorer who's written numerous books – I've read them all! He's smart, brave, adventurous, scientific, handsome, charming, successful..."

Aerrow looked over his shoulder. "And humble – don't forget humble!"

Piper groaned. "Okay, so he's a little narcissistic..."

"He's almost as narcissistic as Finn!"

"Hey!" objected Finn, narrowing his eyes at Aerrow.

"But what made him plant his feet in the ground here?" I jumped in.

"He decided he needed a break, that the life of an explorer was always in constant movement and he needed to stop for a bit," Piper answered. "He's been here for almost two years now, but I reckon he'll be gone by next year."

"Pfft. That's what you said last year, Piper," said Finn. "Even I remember that."

"Jacklyn, I'm going to leave it to you to gather your own opinion of Domiwick," said Piper with a wave of her hands. "Just disregard this whole conversation."

I smiled. "I have a habit of not judging people by their covers. I also believe in second chances, too. Unless they tried to kill me, of course."

That earned me a lot of looks.

Stork shrugged. "Works for me."

We joined a large group of students at the edge of the enormous oval. The grass was green, lush, and immaculately trimmed.

"Line up! Groups of ten!"

Aerrow grabbed my wrist. "Come on, you can run with us."

The students moved quickly, totalling four lines. I stood between Aerrow and Piper in the third row. I finally glimpsed Domiwick pacing before the group. He still wore that dreadful explorer's outfit I remembered from the last time I saw him.

He stopped at the end of the first row, staring down a gangly kid. "Hamish, does that look like a row of ten to you? Move back! To the fourth line where there's an empty space!"

The kid scrambled back, almost tripping over his own feet in the process.

"Now, let's start again," said Domiwick. "You have five minutes to stretch, then the first row will start running. One minute later, the second row starts, and so on and so on. Today, you will all complete twenty laps of the oval. If, by some miracle, you all finish with extra time, then as soon as the last runner crosses the line, you will be completing a series of push ups and squats until I say so. Are we clear?"

"Sir, yes sir!" the students shouted.

"I said _are we clear_?"

"Sir, yes sir!"

"You're stretching starts now!"

I was so shocked by Domiwick's transformation from cool and calm explorer to loud and serious training coach that I was the only one still standing as others knelt to stretch their legs.

Domiwick's eyes leapt to mind. "You! Where's your uniform?"

"I'm new," I replied.

He motioned for me to approach him and I obeyed. He looked down at me with a seemingly-sweet smile, and said, "I'm new, _what_?"

"I'm sorry?"

"I'm sorry, _what_?"

It clicked. "Forgive me, sir, I'm new here."

"Clearly. Since you figured out the problem in seconds, not _hours_ –" He raised his head to look in Hamish's direction. "–then I will forgive you for your blundering. Here, have a spot in first row."

He stepped closer, forcing me back between two students. He looked down the length of the first row before his eyes settled on someone. "You! Move back to the third row!" he barked. I didn't see who moved.

"What's your name, newbie?" Domiwick asked, his attention back on me.

"Jacklyn, sir."

"Enjoy being in first row," he finished, and turned to pace again.

I almost flinched when I recognised the student to my left. Ravess. A good chance to see how she ran. On my right was– "You've got to be kidding me," I groaned, shoulders slumping.

Domiwick spun around. "Did I ask you to talk, newbie?"

"No, sir, you didn't–" I started.

"Then why are you still talking?" He looked up and down the front row. "Five extra laps for first row."

"But–"

Domiwick stepped up until he was almost nose-to-nose with me. "Listen, newbie, until I tell you otherwise, you're here to run, so run. Run, run, run."

I locked my jaw to prevent myself from saying any more, ignoring his mocking tone.

"First row, start!"

And suddenly we were running. I relaxed my jaw and pushed the anger out through every step.

"You _had_ to open your mouth," said Dark Ace as he kept pace beside me.

"No, I actually wanted to run five extra laps," I said drily.

"Forget Domiwick. He's just an ex-explorer who's past his golden years."

My eyes snapped to his. "I heard he was taking a break."

"Please. He would have left twelve months ago if that were true." He looked away. "So you and those Storm Hawks, huh?"

"Before you interrupted, I'd met them only five minutes earlier. What's it to you?"

He scoffed. "Know thy enemy." He caught my look. "As in the Storm Hawks, not you. I've still to figure out where you stand."

"I'll make it easy for you: I'll be in front." I took the chance to up the pace, despite a little voice in my head telling me that he'll catch up quickly with those long legs of his.

Somehow I was still surprised when he appeared beside me.

"You had me worried back there that you might be a slow jogger; we were practically walking."

"Oh, I figured you usually started slow," I quipped.

He smirked, about to reply, when his eyes shifted past mine at something else, and I followed his gaze. Ravess had decided to tag along.

"Who's your new friend, Dark Ace?" she asked, not meeting my eyes.

I spun back to face Dark Ace. "You have a new friend? Who?" When he only rolled his eyes, I said to Ravess, " _Oh_ , you meant me! What, mummy doesn't want you talking to strangers?"

Dark Ace snorted a laugh.

Ravess stared daggers at me and raced ahead. I watched her for a moment and, spotting no weaknesses, turned to Dark Ace, who eyed me with a half-grin.

"What?" I said defensively. "Little Miss Pink Hair had it coming for her."

I upped the pace even more but he kept up, to my annoyance.

"I'll tell you a secret," he said. "I'm the fastest runner here."

"Just because you're fast doesn't mean you have the stamina to keep it up."

One look at his face and I knew he was thinking about something else entirely, so I took the opportunity to stick my foot out and trip him. His face was priceless as he fell, but as I watched over my shoulder, he recovered nicely with a roll and was on both feet in no time. I laughed freely at his stunned features; he seemed to be conflicted between being furious and laughing with me.

"It's okay," I called back. "You can cry. Having two left feet would suck."

His eyebrows rose, and suddenly he was catching up very quickly. Unsure of what his response would be, I kept a wary eye on him as he ran alongside me. He didn't say anything for a while, and I wondered if he harboured a grudge against me now. His school mates had just witnessed him trip.

"I think...," he started, "that I may have misjudged you."

I shrugged. "And...?"

"And if there's a next time, there will be no mercy."

"Ha! Right."

His eyes locked onto mine. "You're not intimidated by me, are you?"

"Why would I be?"

"Some people say it's the eyes. Others... well, they choose from the list."

"Sure thing. You wear coloured contacts, right?"

"Possibly."

"So are they purely for the redness or the poor eyesight, too?" I shot him a wicked grin.

"My eyesight is perfect."

When he didn't continue, I snuck in a few more questions while we jogged the rest of the twenty-five laps. By the time we reached the last lap, only the first row runners were still going, and Dark Ace and I were well in front. My breath was laboured and my lungs screaming but I wasn't letting up, and neither was Dark Ace. We entered the part of the track that deviated from the oval through a short bush area.

"So," I started, "if your nickname... had a nickname... would it be Dark... or Ace?"

"What?!"

"Or something else entirely?"

"You ask... the strangest questions."

"Humour me."

"Um... I don't know." He shook his head, trying to think.

I used his distraction to trip him again. Only this time he saw it coming and pulled me down with him, catching me off guard. I rolled sideways, earning myself a face full of grass, and coming to a stop on my back. I looked side to side for Dark Ace, and then pulled my head back to look behind me.

As soon as I met his eyes, I cracked up laughing.

"You have issues, you know that?" he said half-heartedly.

"Who doesn't? Besides, I'm just making things fun."

He fought back a smile. "How can you be bored? It's your first day."

"Running bores me. Though you make it slightly more interesting."

"I'm flattered."

I rolled over and got to my knees. I stood and offered him a helping hand. He eyed it briefly before accepting it, rising to his full height.

I grimaced. "I preferred it when I was taller than you."

"Oh?"

"That way I'd be the one looking down on you."

"Is that why you've tripped me twice?"

"No, that was out of boredom. And it was hilarious, both times."

I started jogging again, a sense of relief sweeping over me as I realised the finish line was almost in sight. Finally.

Dark Ace caught up but kept quiet. When the finish line came into view along with the other runners, I instinctively sped up, eager to finish this. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed I wasn't the only one. At the sight of Dark Ace slightly ahead, a streak of competitiveness shined through, and I upped the pace until I was flat out sprinting. He still kept up, but clearly at his limits, too.

The line approached. Intrigued heads rose at the sight of us coming, and when it was clear that neither of us were backing off before the line, the students scrambled to get out of the way.

I powered on, my eyes focused on the white painted line. And then we were across. I took the long stretch of lawn to slow down, my throat hoarse and my lungs on fire. I spun around, looking for Domiwick.

I headed back towards the finish line, where he stood. "Who was it, sir?" I called out.

He looked up from his clipboard. "What?"

"Who won?"

"It wasn't a race, newbie."

I stopped before him and waited, panting hard.

"Fine, it was a tie."

I looked up at Dark Ace beside me. "Could have been worse. I mean, you could have lost to me."

"Keep dreaming."

"Hold on," said Domiwick, "why are you two covered in grass?" When we didn't answer immediately, he continued, "This is my class; whatever you kids do outside of school can stay outside of school."

I ignored the few gawking looks and jumped in quickly. "Actually, sir, what really happened was Dark Ace and his two left feet." I slapped Dark Ace on the back. "Luckily for the other runners, they weren't close enough to become collateral damage."

Dark Ace's gaze shot daggers at me, but he didn't object.

Domiwick snorted. "The Dark Ace, clumsy? That's a first." He turned to the see the last runners finishing. "Come on, you lot! My grandmother can run faster than you!"

When the last stragglers had crossed the line, Domiwick said, "Somehow, all of you have finished before your first official class of the day. You have ten minutes to change. Go."

I looked to Dark Ace. "What class do you have now?"

He gave me an odd look. "I'll let you in on a secret here: All forty of this warm-up group is in the same year, meaning we're in the same class."

"Meaning we all have the same timetable." My Jacklyn identity faded for a moment as I remembered my time at the Academy as a kid. It had all been different for me. My timetable had never matched anyone else's.

"Jacklyn?"

"Hmm?" I looked up at Dark Ace.

"You looked like you were somewhere else."

I shrugged, pulling myself together. "It's nothing."

"Dark Ace," said a soft voice, "a word."

I looked behind me. The Cyclonian guild captain herself had snuck up on me. She wasn't even looking at me and my instincts were telling me to hide. She started walking off the oval – though "glide" seemed to be the more accurate term.

Dark Ace smiled at me. "I guess I'll see you later, sweetheart." He turned to follow Cyclonis.

 _Sweetheart_. It hit me that he hadn't called me that the entire time we were running. Now I was uncertain by what he meant by it. Fantastic.

I started walking, remembering all the times he'd called me that.

"Jacklyn!"

I looked up to see Piper approaching.

"I know you just ran twenty-five laps, but you might want to seriously hurry for the next class." She grabbed my arm and dragged me along. "Come on!"

* * *

 **A/N: I've been unsure about the rating of this fanfic - so far it's rated as T, but let me know if you think it should be different. Again, if you enjoyed it, let me know!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Not much to say, except that: It continues...  
**

 **I do not own Storm Hawks (do I have to repeat this every time? :P ).**

* * *

As soon as I reached my room, I grabbed a random shirt and pair of pants from my suitcase and raced to the showers. Fortunately I remembered where they were, and took a record two-minute shower. I threw my clothes on and ran for it.

It was only when I was almost to class that a thought crossed my mind and I looked down at my shirt.

"Ah!" It was a pyjama top! How the hell had I missed that? Sure, the pants were skinny jeans, but the short-sleeved top had the phrase "I'd rather be in bed" on it in big bold letters. I couldn't turn back or I'd be really late.

I sucked in a deep breath and thought: What would Jacklyn do?

I steeled myself and entered the classroom. I searched the room for the nearest empty desk and moved for one in the centre of the room. I sat down and folded my arms across my chest, hoping to hide the black words.

I was a couple of minutes late, but even so, the large classroom wasn't filled yet, and students were still streaming in through the door.

Aerrow appeared and took the seat next to mine. "Mind if I sit here?"

"Go for it."

"How did you find your first morning warm-up session?"

"It was pretty intense," I said. "It's a lot of running first thing in the morning."

"Definitely." He nodded. "So, uh... what happened with you and Dark Ace?"

I laughed. "Oh, he tripped and took me out, too."

"For real?" His face lit up. "I wish I'd seen it."

"Seen what?" asked Finn as he took the seat in front of me.

"Dark Ace face-planted during warm-ups," said Aerrow.

Finn burst out laughing, gripping the back of his seat like his life depended on it. "No way! Man, that would've been epic to watch!" He turned to me. "Did it happen in, like, slow motion? I can so imagine it!"

He pretended to face-plant from his chair in slow motion, and his ridiculous expression had me in smothered giggles.

The classroom door slammed shut, and immediately everyone straightened in their seats, mouths shut. I straightened a little, but kept my arms crossed.

The teacher took his spot at the front of the room, and a slight nervousness took hold. It was the Colonel: a middle-aged Spanish man with a dangerous temper and an admiration for arachnoids. He also taught me six years ago. I knew that my appearance had changed a lot since then, but I still had the same facial structure. Surely he wouldn't recognise me?

"Greetings, students," he began, in his strangely calm and creepy voice. "Welcome to Languages. It's good to see that most of you can make it to class on time." He moved to the last empty desk at the front of the room. "But we're still missing one..."

There was a rapid knock at the door and it opened slowly. The gangly kid from before edged in.

"Hamish," said the Colonel, "I should have known. Take your seat."

"S-sorry sir, Mr Colonel, sir." Hamish ducked his head as he moved between the desks. When he sat, he added, "I just want you to know, sir, that I was late because my towel went missing when I was showering, sir."

A small snicker drew my attention to one side of the room where a beefed-up boy sat looking smug. The culprit, no doubt. I memorised his face for later.

"Hamish, I do not care why you were late – only that you were late."

"Sorry, sir."

The Colonel straightened. "Now, where were we? Ah! I need a volunteer to give an overview of last week's lessons."

No one moved. The Colonel scanned the room until his eyes stopped on me. Uh oh.

His head cocked to one side. "Who are you?"

"Jacklyn, sir. I'm new."

He stepped towards me. "And what is that you are wearing?"

Oh no. "I don't have my uniform yet, sir."

"I can see that. Drop your arms."

I hesitated. "Is that a, uh, demand, sir?"

"Yes."

I slowly dropped my arms. "It's a pyjama shirt, sir. My apologies, I was in a hurry."

He tutted. "Everyone is full of excuses today, aren't they?"

I met his gaze cautiously. "You're not angry?"

A smile crept onto his lips. "I think the humiliation of coming to class in pyjamas is a punishment in itself, don't you think?"

He was right. Muffled laughter rippled through the room and back again. My cheeks coloured slightly, no matter how much I fought it.

The Colonel turned, and finally started talking about class work.

Aerrow leaned over, a smile playing on his lips. "Don't worry, it happens to everyone in their first week," he whispered. He gestured to the students still giggling. "If you want to beat them, then you've got to show them you don't care."

He leaned back again and faced the front. I looked back at the students. That beefy boy was in the centre of them, his laugh at a risky decibel. Blond hair, yellow eyes, tanned skin. Quite literally the image of a golden boy.

Aerrow was right. I needed to flaunt the shirt.

The Colonel was talking about an article from a newspaper that they'd studied last week, and I took my moment when he turned to face the whiteboard.

I quietly pulled back my chair and then stood to face Golden Boy, who quickly shut up. I grabbed the hem of my shirt and tied a knot in it to one side, a couple of inches of flat midriff showing. With a smile, I took a bow and sat down again.

Finn and Aerrow stared at me, gobsmacked.

The rest of the two-hour class proceeded quietly. The first half focused on world news and essays, while the second moved on to Spanish. The Colonel finished class by informing us that we'd be working on our Spanish and Japanese for the first half of the semester.

The siren rang, signalling the start of the first break of the day. Aerrow and Finn were quick to follow me out the door, the rest of the Storm Hawks not far behind.

"That wasn't exactly what I had in mind, Jacklyn, but it worked," said Aerrow.

"Did you see their faces?" said Finn. "Priceless."

I brushed blond hair out of my eyes. "One question: what's up with that golden boy?"

Aerrow frowned a little. "Who?"

"The big one that kept laughing."

"You mean Carver – he's guild captain of the Red Eagles. What about him?"

"Is he the school bully, so to speak?"

"One of them. But you've stood up to him now, so he shouldn't give you much trouble anymore."

Finn wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "And if he does, you know who to look for," he said with a wink.

I faked a smile, not appreciating his closeness. "Don't worry, I'm sure I can handle myself. Besides, won't the headmaster do something if she finds out?"

"Not at this level of bullying," said Piper, appearing from nowhere. "You forget what type of school this is, Jacklyn. We're expected to be able to take care of ourselves, especially since we're fifth years."

"Then what's someone like Hamish still doing here?"

She hesitated, so Finn jumped in.

"We're pretty sure his parents are rich. Like, stupid rich. Rich enough to pay off the teachers. I don't think he's actually passed anything, at least recently."

I scoffed. "Surely the headmaster would know about this by now."

"Oh, she's well aware of the situation," said Aerrow. "She just tends to look the other way."

I ground my teeth together, reluctant to believe them. "I heard that teachers couldn't be bribed."

"Someone's getting bribed, because Hamish is still here," said Finn.

I made a mental note to mention this to Creed the next time I saw her. "Quick question," I said. "Why isn't the headmaster called headmistress?"

"There are a few rumours," said Piper, "but I think it's because she doesn't see the need to change from master to mistress. I mean, when you think about it, it's pointless."

"Her visitors also get a shock when they expect to meet a man," added Aerrow.

"I think it's because she can't be bothered changing the title on her door," said Finn. "It is engraved into the wood, you know."

"Interesting." They all had valid points, but from what I knew, it was because as soon as she wrote "Headmistress" on the paper, no one took her seriously, especially for a school as unique as Atmos. People had tried to take advantage of her repeatedly and fewer people applied for any job openings. It really divided the community into normal people and sexist pigs.

* * *

 **A/N: Another chapter done and dusted. If you have any thoughts or questions, feel free to leave a comment.  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Chapter Five! I've been editing this story like cleaning a car with a toothbrush... But hey, it's worth it. I've enjoyed writing it so far. :)  
**

 **I don't own Storm Hawks.**

* * *

First break passed relatively quietly, as did the following class, History, though that was due to most students not paying attention and half asleep on their desks. I admit it didn't help that the teacher was Mr Agar, a man who looked and sounded like he was closing in on his ninetieth year, but I found it quite interesting. It focused on conflicts between and in countries, from police raids to national security, and how they were solved.

As soon as that siren rang, signalling end of class, it was like someone had detonated a stink bomb – everyone was on their feet and out the door in seconds.

"That class takes for _ever_!" said Finn. "Junko, you were drooling again."

"Heh, whoops," he said. "I had that all-you-can-eat buffet dream again, and the burgers were as big as your face!"

"Sweet," replied Finn, bumping fists with him.

"You know what's even sweeter?" Aerrow jumped in. "Combat class. Which we have now, so move it!"

"Who teaches this one?" I asked Piper.

"This guy called Scabulous," she said, "but he prefers Captain."

I laughed. "That's his name? For real?"

She nodded. "He's really touchy about his name – last year, Finn called him something completely inappropriate and he's held a grudge against him ever since."

I turned to Finn, wide-eyed. "What did you call him?"

He bit down a grin. "Fabulous Scabulous."

I burst out laughing. "You just gave me an image of a drag queen."

Surprise lit their faces as they howled with laughter.

"You won't be thinking that when you see him," said Aerrow, his face pink.

We reached the gymnasium, all wearing stupid grins.

"Jacklyn, come on," said Piper, "I'll show you the girls' locker rooms."

She led me through a short passageway off to one side and into another room full of dark blue lockers. "These lockers hold all our gear for our two physical classes, Combat and Weapons. We have different uniforms for each class, too – Weapons uniform has a lot heavier body armour. Since you obviously don't have any yet, you'll have to use the spares."

She approached the only yellow locker and cracked the combination lock.

"Why don't other students use the spares?" I asked.

"You get in trouble if you don't have your own uniform. Besides, no one really wants to wear these with good reason."

She held up a bright yellow one piece suit, sleeveless and with light armour built into it.

"You're not serious," I said slowly.

Piper smiled grimly. "Enjoy."

While everyone else changed into regular navy and grey suits, I changed into the hideous yellow thing. On closer inspection, I found that the suit was quite old, with lots of scrapes and gashes in it.

Piper laughed when she saw me, but quickly apologised.

"I feel like a yellow highlighter," I muttered. "This isn't a joke, right? I actually have to go out there and wear this?"

"Yep. If it makes you feel any better, wearing one of those is a custom for new kids."

"That doesn't help."

"Okay, then think of it as a test of character."

My eyes shot to her. A test of character? For Jacklyn or Kira? Perhaps both?

I focused on being Jacklyn. "Fine. Let's do this."

A slice of regret sunk in as I walked back into the gym – every pair of eyes flicked toward me. I kept my head high and re-joined the Storm Hawks, who stood off to one side.

"Ladies and gentleman, the legendary canary suit!" announced Finn, cracking up.

Stork shivered. "Oh, that brings back bad memories. Did you know that those suits have been worn by every student since the nineteen eighties?"

"It explains the colour," I said.

"Actually, I'm pretty sure that the colour's purely for the humiliation and destruction of pride."

"Of course."

"Come on, Jacklyn, you can spar with me first," said Finn. "Maybe I can teach you a few things, too."

"You can try," I said, grinning.

We headed to a stack of black mats, large, square, and slightly cushy.

"I'm going to assume you can tell what these are for," said Finn as he picked up one side. I grabbed the other and we dragged it to a spare space in the huge gym. Several others had already started sparring, and I spotted Dark Ace in the corner paired up with who I figured to be Snipe.

We dropped the mat with a loud thwack. "So how does this class work? Isn't Fabulous Scabulous supposed to be here by now?"

"Psshh. He always turns up late, because he knows we'll start with or without him." He stepped onto the mat. "Now, ground rules: no weapons, no biting or scratching, no hits above the shoulders, and if someone says stop, you stop immediately."

"Is that it?" I asked.

"Since you're my partner, there's also the extra rule of no messing with the hair." Finn ran a hand through his hair as if to make a point.

I shook my head. Such an unrealistic rule. The fact that there were rules was unrealistic in itself; if you were in a real fight, there were no rules.

"Whatever you say," I said.

"Best out of three," he finished, and took his stance.

I took my own stance, which was unique to my fighting style. As Finn threw the first punch, I realised that I couldn't fight as Kira, but as Jacklyn, and my defence slipped.

Finn's fist caught me on the shoulder. "Oh, sorry, I thought you were going to block that..."

I stared at him. "Why are you apologising? This is a fight, not a monopoly game. Come on, hit me."

I saw hesitance in his eyes, so I decided to throw a few shots of my own. Sloppy ones, of course, but enough to get him into action. We started by testing each other's punching and blocking skills, and then moved on to include kicks.

It was so hard to hold back on him. I had to let a few shots through, though, to maintain the identity I'd chosen. I saw a hole in Finn's defence for a second or so, but backed off, pretending I hadn't noticed. It came at a cost unfortunately, because Finn's hand came up and shoved my shoulder to the ground.

"Yes! One point to me," he said, doing a little dance. He offered a helping hand. "Don't worry if you lose; combat isn't my strongest skill either."

I chuckled, standing up again, and the second round started. It began easier this time, because we both knew what each was capable of, though I still found another small moment to let Finn win. The hole in my pride, in Kira's pride, however, was growing.

As I dodged most of his blocks and got a few swings in, I kept thinking: You're better than this, you're probably better than this whole class put together, you're _superior_ in skill against them...

The next time Finn kicked, I snapped. I grabbed his leg and, using his momentum, flipped him onto his stomach. A simple move.

"Woah, where did that come from?" asked Finn, rising to his feet.

I shrugged, sheepish. "Third time's the charm?"

"No kidding. Good match." He held out his hand and I shook it, nervously wondering if I'd overdone it.

"You want to watch Aerrow and Piper fight? They're a lot better than I am, and we can switch partners when they're done."

He was right, they were better fighters. Their sparring was amazing to watch as it had this mesmerising quality to it, like two partners who knew the other's every move and were in complete sync. Aerrow won, but not by much.

I approached Piper. "I can't believe that didn't end in a tie."

She blushed. "The matches can't have a tie; they keep going until there's a winner."

At least that was realistic. "Feel like teaching me a few moves?"

"Sure!" She pushed Aerrow off the mat and motioned for me to take his place. We'd only gotten through one round – which I lost – when Scabulous finally arrived.

"Ah, looks like everyone's busy! Finish your round and come to the front so we can start."

Once everyone had gathered before him, Scabulous began. "I see we have a canary suit today – lass, step forward!"

I shifted through the students to the front.

"What's your name?"

"Jacklyn, sir."

"And how are your combat skills, Jacklyn?"

"More than the basics, but I'm not a master yet."

"Yet," he repeated. "I like that optimism. Have you sparred with anyone yet?"

"Finn and Piper."

"And who do you think fits your level the most?"

A slight hesitation. "Finn."

"I see. Well, lass, the way it works is you find a partner, spar for three rounds, and then move on. I walk around giving pointers and the occasional demonstration. Since you're new, you might as well jump in the deep end and fight one of the best." His eyes searched the students. "Where are you, lad? Oh there! Dark Ace, come here. The rest of you find a new partner."

The students dispersed, leaving me facing Dark Ace and Scabulous.

"This lad here has a few decent tricks up his sleeve you might be able to get a hold of. You two find a mat and go for it."

I followed Dark Ace to the mat I'd first seen him on and stood before him. "So do I get extra points for being shorter than you?"

He didn't reply, his face blank.

I frowned. "You okay?"

"We're here to spar, not chit chat." He moved into position.

"Sure," I said slowly, following suit.

I made the first move, a punch to the solar plexus. I wasn't ready for his speed. He blocked, spun around and kicked me in the ribs.

I dropped to all fours, winded. When I could breathe again, I said, "What the hell?"

He helped me to my feet. "Sorry. I thought you might have been better than you let on."

"What?" My surprise wasn't entirely fake.

"I watched you spar with Finn. You saw his defence fall for a split second but didn't do anything."

"Oh, that. I doubted myself for a moment."

"You should have made a move."

"Tell me about it. He wouldn't have kicked my butt otherwise." I moved back into my stance, adopting a more common one.

"Huh. I guess after warm-ups this morning, I expected you to be a better fighter."

"Nope. My talent lies with blades."

He still hadn't smiled yet or made some quirky remark, and it annoyed me. His face remained stone-hard and impassive.

He started round two with less enthusiasm than before, though I kept a sharp eye out for any wayward kicks. He purposely took longer to beat me in each round, and not only was I becoming less chilled about it, but I kept having to reel myself in from performing the perfect counter attack. My patience was soon pulled thin, and it suddenly became the worst class of the day.

I couldn't do this. I couldn't last a two-hour class where I had to hold back and constantly slip up; it was tiring. My patience was thinning. My mind was going nuts. My muscles kept asking for more. Fighting muscle memory and instincts nearly took all my strength.

When Dark Ace and I finished, we started another round because no one else had. I almost wished I was fighting Finn again, because it would have been easier and less humiliating.

Dark Ace suddenly pulled my feet from underneath me and stood towering above. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" I panted.

"If you're not going to take this fight seriously, then it's pointless."

I rested my arm across my forehead. "Do what you want."

Scabulous came into my view. "What's with the slacking, lassie? Get up!"

"Sorry, sir," I said, rising. "I'm just exhausted. Big first day."

"The day's not over yet! Now let me see you two spar."

We took our stances and Dark Ace allowed me the first shot. I missed, of course. We parried, back and forth, my body earning a few more bruises. My moment appeared, when Dark Ace's leg returned to the ground from a painful sidekick, but at a spot that slightly unbalanced him. I lashed out at the leg with my own.

He dodged the attack and instead used my own imbalance to shove me to the mat.

"Really? You think I wouldn't have learned my lesson from warm-ups?" he said, but a slight smile crept onto his face. A small achievement in itself, and I grinned.

"Jacklyn," said Scabulous. "You have good technique, but you need to be confident in your own movements. You need to be faster in your decisions; let your instincts do the work and follow them."

"Yes, sir," I said.

"Don't forget to switch partners once you're done," he finished, and walked away.

But I had a new purpose for the match. It wasn't to win or to lose, but to see Dark Ace smile. It was a surprising thought. I had one round left to achieve it.

I jumped to my feet. "Have you ever sparred with Scabulous before?"

"Not seriously. As a first year, he taught us the techniques. Once he was satisfied, he had us repeat the techniques on punching bags, over and over until it became second nature."

"So he's a good teacher?"

"One of the best."

Still no smile. I thought back to warm-ups; I needed to do something random.

"So how long have you and Cyclonis been dating?" I asked with a sly grin.

"It's not like that–" he started, a little taken aback.

I launched at him. Like, full-body, air-assault launch. His eyes widened, but his reaction was too slow, and he toppled beneath me. He groaned as he hit the ground, but I kept him pinned by straddling his stomach, my hands on his shoulders.

"Does this mean I win?" I asked, ecstatic.

"Debatable. Do you mind?" He looked at his pinned shoulders.

"No, not really. I'm enjoying this way too much."

His head flopped back.

"Besides, I've been losing all day, so this is the main highlight for me. Come on, smile!"

His eyes met mine and narrowed. "Why?"

"Why not?" I quipped.

"Come on. Get off. We've got to switch, remember?"

I sighed. "Fine."

I stood, and helped him to his feet. Which he responded by taking out my own feet. I slapped back onto the mat, shocked and winded.

Dark Ace crouched beside me, grinning. "Now this is something to smile for."

He walked off to find another partner, but I still remained sprawled out on the mat, a grin spreading across my lips. "Totally worth it," I said aloud.

"Really?" said a familiar voice. "Because that looked a little painful."

I looked up to see Aerrow, who helped me to my feet.

"Want to spar?"

"After the beating I just had?"

"I'll go easy," he said.

"Fine."

The rest of the class passed by uneventful. Aerrow beat me, of course, and then I sparred against Junko, who couldn't stop apologising every time he made contact.

What I found curious, though, was that I noticed Cyclonis sitting out half the time. She barely sparred with anyone, and when she did, it was only against Ravess. I tried to watch those matches when I could, but it was hard to do it without attracting attention from my sparring partner.

The class finished at one thirty and gave way to lunch break. Again, I sat with the Storm Hawks, who were all too happy to discuss my fight with Dark Ace in minute detail. They noted that my short victory against him was a very rare occurrence, and my "awesome points" went up according to Finn.

* * *

 **A/N: Don't forget to leave a review! :D  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** **Not sure if I have to mention it, but just in case:** **this chapter contains controlled violence with weapons. So enjoy!  
**

 **I don't own Storm Hawks. :'(  
**

* * *

Weapons was next. The two-hour class was split into half firearms and half blades, taught by a man called Mr Moss. At his request, I paired up with Finn, and soon we were taking turns at the indoor shooting range. The target was human-shaped, with the biggest bullseye on the head.

I took aim, left of the bullseye, and fired. I turned to Finn, shrugging, and he gave me the thumbs up.

Despite the reinforced walls and the ear muffs, it was still incredibly loud with the number of pairs shooting.

I shot a few more times, only once getting the bullseye, before passing the handgun to Finn, who had a watch-this look on his face.

He took aim and fired in quick succession, not missing once. I raised my eyebrows when he looked back at me, and returned the thumbs up.

He was a natural, that was clear. With each shot, I started to wonder if he was actually better than I was. Better than Kira, that is.

A flashing red light signalled the end of the firearms class, and we returned the weapons and gear. Mr Moss rounded us up and led us into another huge room, not unlike the gym. The room had been set up for a number of different activities: the black mats were in one corner, a couple of target ranges in another, and there was even a set of wooden dummies.

Mr Moss cleared his throat. "So just a reminder on how things work here... All weapons are signed out at that desk over there, just like the firearms, along with the first aid kit. There are blunt blades for anyone not feeling confident enough today, and most importantly, if I see _anyone_ misbehaving or misusing these weapons, the culprits will sit out this class in detention for a week. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir," said the students, though with very little enthusiasm.

"Detention doesn't sound that bad," I said to Finn.

He grimaced. "Trust me, it's the worst possible detention you can get. Mr Moss will make you clean toilets and bathrooms, mop floors, and so much more."

"Okay!" yelled Mr Moss, to get the attention back on him. "I'll split y'all up into even groups of ten and get started!"

My group started with the throwing knives, each receiving a small case from the bored guy behind the desk, and moved to the range. There was five stalls in total, each framed with bullet-proof glass to stop stray knives from flying out.

I stuck with Finn again, though I smiled when I saw Dark Ace was in my group. This was the skill I was allowed to be good at, and I wasn't planning on holding back.

"You look happy," Finn noted.

"I've been waiting for this class all day. Blades are my best skill."

"Are you a master?"

"Yep," I said with a grin. "The one and only."

"Maybe you can give me a few pointers."

"Sure!"

I picked up the first knife and flipped it back and forth, testing its weight. Then I threw it. It hit the wooden target in the centre.

I spent half my time throwing knives and the other half teaching Finn, who consistently kept missing the target, let alone the centre.

"Come on," I said, "you're the sharpshooter! How can you not be good at this?"

"Give me a gun and I will blast this thing," he growled. "Or a crossbow."

"So you're hopeless at anything that requires effort, then?"

I grinned when he glared at me. "You were much less snarky when I was kicking your butt in Combat," he said.

"I don't waste my moments."

The hairs on my neck stood on end, and I spun around.

Dark Ace watched us, leaning on the barricade between the stalls.

"Come to beat me at this, too?" I asked.

"Is that a challenge?"

I sauntered closer. "What do you think?"

He straightened and paused, his eyes looking past me at something else. "We're switching partners, Storm Hawk."

"But–" Finn protested.

"Don't worry, Finn, his pride won't be intact next time you see him," I said.

Dark Ace looked into the next stall. "Snipe, we're switching."

I grabbed my case of knives as Finn said, "Snipe? I'm paired with Snipe?!"

I patted him on the shoulder. "Just remember what I taught you and you'll be fine. I'll be back."

"I'm so dead..."

I switched into the next stall, eyeing Snipe as he past. Navy hair, purple eyes, a physique that could easily challenge Junko's, and a sneering face that I wanted to punch.

"So what are the rules?" I asked as I set my case down.

"Three knives, three targets."

I turned to face the round target and he moved closer behind me.

"See those dots?" he asked, pointing over my shoulder. "That's what you're aiming for."

I squinted a little, and eventually saw the tiny black dots marked randomly on the target. "Okay. Bring it on."

"Ladies first."

I picked up a knife and flipped it a few times. Dark Ace's presence felt unusually intensified, and it took a moment of concentrated breathing before I could focus entirely on the target.

I threw the knife.

He whistled. "Not bad. But that could be beginner's luck."

I picked up the next knife and threw it without hesitation. I didn't wait for a response and threw the last one. All knives had hit dead centre of the dots.

I turned to him. "What, no witty remark?"

He looked truly astounded. "That was incredible."

I paused. "Careful, that sounded like a sincere compliment."

I jogged to the end of the stall, picked my knives off, and returned. Dark Ace took aim and threw. When the knife was slightly off target, my mind did a small happy dance. I was better than him!

I remembered back to his profile, which stated his mastered skills were hand-to-hand and firearms. Sure, he was good at blades, but not perfect.

His remaining two shots proved it; his worst one landed a little more than a centimetre from the dot.

"I guess this means you're not a master," I said as he collected the weapons.

"Knife throwing may not be my forte, sweetheart, but wait until we start fencing," he said as he returned. "Which should be any moment now, actually."

I stepped in front of him. "What makes you think I won't be good at fencing? I said I was good with blades, remember?"

"But how many blades?"

"Certainly more than–"

I was interrupted by a loud whistle.

"Time to swap stations, it seems." Dark Ace packed his knives up and left.

Finn poked his head around the barricade. "How did you go?"

I grinned. "Oh, I beat him. Big time."

"Good for you. Meanwhile, I had my butt kicked by Snipe, who kept growling at me! That dude has some serious issues."

I only laughed. We swapped our throwing knives in for fencing swords, and met with the rest of our group in one corner of the room. People had already started matches, and one purple-haired girl caught my eye. A natural with the blade, she was the perfect image of the sword becoming an extended arm.

I kept an eye on her as Finn and I set up, unsheathing the swords and taking our places opposite to each other.

"Finn," I said, "who's that?" I nodded to the girl.

He looked over his shoulder. "Her? Oh, that's Starling. She's one of the top swordsmen of the class."

"Huh."

"Yeah, it's pretty sad, really."

"What is?"

He ran a hand through his spiky hair. "Her guild used to be one of the best, but now she's the only one left. All the others changed guilds."

"Do you know why?" I asked.

"Most people say the guild had reached its lowest point. Funny thing is, most of them joined Cyclonia."

The breath hitched in my throat. A lead. "When did this happen?"

"Start of the year. Way before you arrived."

"What guild was it?"

"The Interceptors."

My shoulders dropped slightly. The Interceptors. I cleared my throat. "So she's the only one in the guild? Is that allowed?"

"Not really. Each guild must have at least two members, which is why we've offered her a spot as a Storm Hawk. She's determined to rebuild the Interceptors, though. It used to be really great, once."

"I bet," I muttered.

Finn's eyes widened. "Quick, Mr Moss is heading this way. Attack me!"

I grinned at his choice of words, and obliged.

If I was being polite, I would say that Finn wasn't the greatest swordsman; if I was being honest, I'd say he downright sucked at it. Sure, he managed a few parries, but he was just as clumsy as he was with the throwing knives.

Mr Moss passed by, muttering advice here and there before moving on.

I won every round against Finn, and it was a great feeling to feel on top again. When I felt I'd warmed up enough, I stopped to find Dark Ace.

"Be right back," I told Finn.

He only groaned.

I spotted Dark Ace sparring with Snipe not far away, and took the moment to watch. The way he handled the blade... I'd be surprised if he didn't master blades soon.

He won the round and suddenly spun around, instantly catching my gaze. I smiled, and gestured for him to switch spots. He said a couple of words to Snipe before making his way towards me.

"Snipe's over there," I said to Finn. When he glared at me, I added, "I really appreciate you doing this."

"You owe me, Jacklyn." He headed for Snipe, pouting slightly.

Dark Ace reached me. "You realise that we might as well remain partners?"

"I do. But then again, you didn't see Finn's face when he had to pair up with Snipe again; the look of an unhappy spoilt child is priceless."

He gave me an odd look, and raised his sword. "At least I know that I'm not the only one who you gossip about."

I took my stance. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He lunged. "All day, I've been hearing rumours about me face-planting in warm-ups."

I counter-attacked. "And that's not true?"

"You were the only one there, and you know I didn't trip on my own."

"You're right. You had help from both your left feet."

He blocked my move and his blade whipped up to stop by my neck. He shifted in close to me. "Why must you insist that I have two left feet?"

I stared back at him, annoyed with my lack of attention. "Why can't you take a joke?" I said curtly.

"A joke becomes old after the third time."

I sighed. "I told Aerrow and Finn that you tripped, and clearly they misinterpreted it. What's the big deal?"

He leaned in even closer. "The big deal is that I have a reputation to uphold at this Academy. I'm not clumsy."

"Then you have nothing to worry about. Now, if you don't mind..."

He lowered his weapon and moved back to position.

"You know," I added, "if you stopped worrying about your reputation for a moment, you might actually have a good time."

His only response was to start the round by lashing out. He was a difficult opponent, without a doubt talented, but I soon made quick work of him and won.

"You're a master, aren't you?" he panted.

I shrugged. "In a place like this, I guess so."

I took a moment to stretch, when I noticed Mr Moss watching in my peripheral vision. "How long has he been watching?" I asked Dark Ace.

"The whole match. Why?"

"Never mind."

We had a few more rounds sparring before we moved on to the basic dagger, learning on the wooden manikins the difference between lethal and non-lethal techniques.

As the siren rang, I walked out with Dark Ace, trading advice and dagger techniques, when Cyclonis appeared from nowhere and glared at Dark Ace before disappearing again.

"What was that about?" I asked.

He took a moment to reply. "Nothing."

"And my hair's bright pink with purple spots."

He rolled his eyes.

"Does she have something over you?"

"What?!"

"Is she blackmailing you?"

"No! What made you think that?"

"Well," I started, "first the thing this morning and just now. I've heard some stories about you two, also."

He looked at me almost suspiciously. "Like what?"

"Like you almost got expelled for her," I said bluntly.

"Look, I don't think you have the right to judge someone you don't know."

"So she's a good person?"

He stopped in his tracks. "Why do you care all of a sudden?"

I sighed, flicking blond hair out of my face. "I'm trying to understand what relationship you two have."

When his features remained defensive, I knew I had to go a little further.

I cleared my throat. "Forget it, it's stupid..."

I started walking away, praying that he'd take the bait.

He grabbed my wrist. When I looked up at him, his features had relaxed to cautious but curious.

"Hey. What is it?"

I avoided his gaze. "I just want to know where I stand. I mean, with the Storm Hawks, I feel forced to be nice to them with every word because of their natures." That was most definitely true. "But... but with you, I feel like I can be myself and that when I insult you, you know I'm just messing with you. And you also make classes interesting."

He didn't say anything for a while, and it became clear that we were going to be late for science class.

I laughed half-heartedly a little and stepped back. "Like I said, it's stupid. I'm just the new kid here anyway."

He sighed and cocked his head to one side. "Actually, you're the intriguing new kid. Everyone's talking about you."

My heart sped up a little. "What? Why?"

He stepped forward, shortening the distance between us. "Oh, just a few new rumours that you tripped me in warm-ups and then full-on attacked me during Combat."

"Ah. At least they sound more accurate."

He smiled a bit, before it faded. "Jacklyn... Cyclonis doesn't like you, and she doesn't like that we're hanging out. She asked me this morning to keep conversation light with you."

I frowned. "So she does have something over you?"

"No-"

"Then why do you obey her like a red-eyed puppy dog?"

"Because I respect her and what she stands for," he said, voice rising. "I have for years, and it's all I've known."

I hesitated, and tapped his chest. "Maybe you need to consider if what she asks of you conflicts with what you want."

I walked away, and it was like an immediate lungful of fresh air. I'd meant for it to get emotional but that... I wasn't one hundred percent sure I knew why I'd said some of it.

I arrived to class ten minutes late. The teacher, a Mr Gundstaff, accepted my excuse of getting lost in the maze of corridors. He also accepted my excuse of sitting out in class because it had been a while since I'd deactivated a bomb.

Dark Ace arrived twenty minutes after me, with a note from the Academy's nurse excusing him for his tardiness. Other than that, class proceeded quietly, with the exception of the warning sound which meant that a student had failed to deactivate the "bomb" in time.

The last class of the day was Strategic Defence, a long two-hour class that finished at seven at night. If I'd been in a better mood, I would have enjoyed it; it even had one of my favourite teachers from my last time at the Academy – a quirky man called Arygyn. He seemed like a complete lunatic, but by the end of class, everything he'd said made complete sense. One activity he gave us was a blueprint of a mansion, and we had to pretend we were installing the security, including cameras and motion detectors.

A moment before the siren was due to go off, the P.A. system buzzed, alerting us to an incoming announcement.

"Attention students, could fifth year Jacklyn please meet the headmaster directly after dinner? Thank you."

A few people's heads turned in my direction, including Aerrow's, who I just shrugged at.

* * *

 **A/N: So the story is building. Got a question or comment? Review, review, review! :D  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Wow, can't be too bad if people are still reading this ;) ;)  
**

 **I don't own Storm Hawks.**

* * *

I sat quietly during dinner.

"Jacklyn, what's up?" asked Piper, sitting next to me.

I said the first thing that came to mind. "I'm just worried about what the headmaster wants. You don't think I'm in trouble, do you?"

"Of course not. She probably just wants to see how your first day went. It's not unusual."

I smiled. "Thanks. It's good to hear that."

She perked up, grinning. "You're welcome!"

Inside, I wanted to run away. I didn't even know why I sat with the Storm Hawks – it's not like they were a part of the assignment.

Dinner was the longest meal time of the day – a generous whole hour. When that was up, I was quick to excuse myself and power-walk to the headmaster's office. With far less resistance from the assistant, Linda, I soon sat before Creed, giving her a rundown of the day.

"There are two things I want to discuss," I said when I finished. "The first one: Why is fifth year Hamish still here? Are teachers taking bribes?"

Her glare sliced right through me. "How dare you. Hamish is here at the request of one teacher, who believes Hamish has a lot more potential than he appears. His parents pay the bills without complaint, but money is not your answer."

"Right," I said, unfazed. "Secondly... what do you know about the Interceptors guild disbanding?"

"Only that the guild was going through a bad time and it happened suddenly."

"Are you aware that the majority of the Interceptors switched to Cyclonia?"

She paused. "No, I was not. I don't look too closely at what guilds students decide on."

"I think you should." I leaned forward. "I don't believe that they all switched willingly."

"What proof do you have?"

I shook my head. "None. It's a gut feeling."

Creed crossed her arms across her chest. "Or maybe you're just disappointed that your guild has fallen so far."

"This isn't a personal matter," I snapped.

"Fine. But find proof that it's not just your gut telling you this. Find out why they left. Anything else?"

"My sleeping quarters - you said yesterday I'd be sharing a room."

"Yes. Since you've gotten on so well with Piper, I've had your things moved to her room."

"Great."

"One last thing: report to me this time every night. Don't tell anyone where you're going. Just be here."

"Will do." I stood, ready to exit.

"And Kira?"

I paused.

"Keep yourself low-key and off the gossip channel. I'm already hearing stories about you."

"Noted."

* * *

"So I hear you moved into Piper's room last night?" asked Aerrow.

"Sure did," I said, stretching my legs. "That's what the headmaster wanted to know."

Morning warm-ups. Domiwick had already given us orders and stood to one side with a timer and a clipboard. "Row two! Start your fifteen laps!"

I stood in row three with the Storm Hawks. Fifteen laps was sure less than yesterday's twenty-five, but the fifty push-ups and squats at the end sucked.

"Row three!"

We ran. Adrenaline pumped through me, giving me a good start. I looked around at the huge oval and finally spotted Dark Ace jogging alongside Ravess. I figured it would be quicker to drop back than try to catch up, so I slowed my pace slightly.

Aerrow caught up to me. "Why the slow down?"

I shrugged. "I felt like taking it easy this morning."

"Okay." He ran on.

I watched him run. He was too nice. He saw the good in everyone, and trusted them instantly.

Well, not everyone. I wondered what was up between him and Dark Ace. It's not every day I came across a feud like that.

More people passed me. Most gave me weird looks, no doubt comparing my run yesterday to now. I waited ages for the first row runners to appear.

"What are you doing?"

I flinched as Cyclonis drew up alongside me. "Um, running?"

"I don't know why you want to catch up with Dark Ace, but you need to stop."

"That's a great idea! I'll catch up to him quicker."

She glared at me, and ice ran down my spine. "Leave him alone, or I will make your life miserable."

I raised an eyebrow at her and scoffed. "You can try."

Her eyes widened with anger, and she ran on ahead. Her running was smooth and flawless, like her walking.

I shook my head in disbelief. I couldn't believe that she thought she'd get her way with me. Boy, did she have a surprise coming for her.

"Jacklyn?"

I recognised Dark Ace's voice and a smile lifted to my lips.

"Why on earth are you so far behind?"

He caught up, Ravess peering at me with something like suspicion. What was it with these Cyclonians?

"Oh, you know, just taking it easy after yesterday's marathon."

"Any slower and you'll almost be a lap behind."

I shrugged. "So be it."

He jogged beside me at my ridiculously casual pace, before Ravess groaned, and sped ahead.

"You're so slow, Hamish is catching up," she called back.

I waited until she'd put some distance between us before speeding up to decent pace.

"I knew it," Dark Ace said. "There was no way you'd jog that slowly just to 'take it easy'."

"You're right, _this_ is my easy pace; what I did back there is something I call the Grandma Crawl."

He grinned. "So what's up?"

"Nothing, really."

"Come on, you slow down to do the 'Grandma Crawl' and nothing's up?"

"Yep."

He paused. "Huh."

We passed through the bushy area of the track when he stuck his foot out. Though I saw it coming, I knew it shouldn't have surprised me. Instead of avoiding it though, I played along and tripped, my arm flying out to grab his shirt to pull him down with me.

It almost worked. His shirt ripping to one side, however, was unplanned as he toppled with me. We rolled together before we stopped, with me squashing his chest.

I put a hand to the ground for support and lifted off him. When I saw the state of his shirt, a chuckle started in my throat before I burst out laughing.

He raised himself onto his elbows. "That is not funny."

He inspected the damage but only ended up tearing it more, revealing more of his pale flat stomach.

I grinned. "You're going to be so busted."

When I finally took my eyes off his stomach and met his gaze, my grin slowly faded. His face was inches from mine.

"I, um, don't take any responsibility," I said slowly. "For your shirt, I mean."

His eyes darkened in a strange, intense way. "Funny. I blame you for everything."

A smile edged onto my face again, and I looked back at the track and then past him at the bushes. I backed away from him, and stood. "Come on. Others are catching up."

I pulled him to his feet and dragged him into the bushes. We trekked in several metres until the bush became thick enough to mostly hide us from the track.

I pulled Dark Ace behind a tree with a huge trunk, and peeked around the edge to see a jogger pass by. "Ugh. Snipe. So glad we missed him."

I sucked in a breath as Dark Ace curled an arm around my waist and drew me closer. "What's wrong with Snipe?" he said.

My heart beat intensified. "He, um, he... He..."

I half-turned to him just in time to see him smile.

"Amazing," he murmured. "I've got you speechless for once."

My breath shortened. He was so close...

I swallowed and spun out of his reach. "You should, uh, fix your shirt. Maybe steal Hamish's when he passes by."

"Probably not a bad idea," he said slowly.

When I didn't reply, he crept closer to the track and waited. Once he left, it was like my brain turned back on, and it was screaming at me.

What the hell had that been? Was I stupid? I wasn't here to muck around as a student, I was here on assignment! I needed to focus, and get a grip. Be Jacklyn, the new kid.

The thought worried me: was I still Jacklyn, or had I reverted to being myself again, to being Kira? The lines between the two had blurred within the last twenty-four hours, and it was extremely unprofessional, not to mention dangerous.

I watched as Hamish approached, in his awkward, stumbling gait, and Dark Ace stepped out in front of him. They talked too softly for me to hear, but Hamish seemed eager to help out. The two quickly switched shirts and Hamish jogged away again, wearing an oversized shirt with a gaping hole in it.

Dark Ace returned, struggling to squeeze into Hamish's navy shirt. "I think I should have stopped someone more my size," he said. The shirt looked ridiculous on him, tighter than tight.

I flashed him a half-smile. "It doesn't look that bad."

His eyebrows rose. "I have eleven more laps to go and I can barely breathe in this thing."

"I bet Ravess will faint when she sees it, so you won't come last."

"What does that mean?"

I averted my eyes and shrugged. "Nothing. I'm just messing with you."

I strode past him to the track, and started running again when the coast was clear.

"No, really," Dark Ace said when he caught up, "what does that mean?"

"If you haven't figured it out, then it's not my place to tell."

"But–"

"Can you just forget it?" I snapped.

Any emotion on his face dropped, and he powered ahead of me. Honestly, it was a miracle his shirt hadn't ripped by now, with all the shifting muscles beneath it.

Maybe he should wear tight shirts more often? I thought with a smile. After all, women once had to wear corsets and they couldn't breathe either.

Soon he was too far for me to admire and that's when my common sense smashed down on my brain again. My mood dropped, and I mulled over all the reasons that Dark Ace was a distraction from my assignment.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you are enjoying this story so far - feel free to leave a comment!  
**

 **Trying to update every couple of weeks, but you know... life. :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: So I must apologise to anyone who's been reading this consistently and has been waiting for an update. I can guarantee I'll put up at least another four chapters, so hang in there :)**

 **Don't own Storm Hawks.**

* * *

During Combat, I avoided Dark Ace. Every time I looked at him, I labelled him with a big fat DISTRACTION stamp. Needless to say, I was surprised when Ravess offered to partner up with me for a match. She acted nice, which only heightened my wariness.

"Sure," I said. "I'm warning you though, I have my wit and I'm not afraid to use it."

She only smiled.

Her fighting style was, how should I put it, neat. Perfect. Every technique had been mastered. But it made her predictable, and slightly too slow. Techniques should be learned, mastered, and then broken to the fighter's will. Learn the rules so you can break them properly.

She beat me in the first round, with a side kick that I expected as soon as she twisted her leg. I stood panting, nursing my bruised stomach.

"What reason do you have to hang around Dark Ace?" she asked.

"Ah, the real reason why you wanted to partner up," I puffed. "And here I thought it was my sense of humour."

She rolled her eyes. "Answer the question."

I straightened, stretching my back. "Well, he seems like a decent guy and he provides some good competition."

"What else?"

I paused. "What other reason is there?"

"Are you using him for something? Trying to figure him out so you can blackmail him?"

"Now where would the fun be if I did such a thing?"

"I don't like your tone."

I raised my eyebrows at her and took a few steps forward. "I'm sorry – you don't like my tone? Are you secretly a middle-aged mum or something?"

She glared at me. "So no motive?"

"None that come to mind."

When she didn't reply, I moved back to my position. "Can I ask you something?"

"Go for it," she said half-heartedly.

"How long have you had a crush on Dark Ace?"

Her eyes flashed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

I smirked. "You're a terrible liar. But girl to girl; how long?"

She took two steps towards me. "Even if something as unlikely as that was true, do you really expect me to open up to the likes of you?"

"Wow, it must be years," I said, reading her like a book. "How long have you known him?"

"Shut your mouth," she growled.

"Oh come on, Ravess. Everyone crushes on someone now and then. Besides, he doesn't even know. I hinted at it this morning to him, and it just flew over his head. Like a pigeon."

She swung at my face. It had sort of been the idea, to get her worked up, but as soon as her fist was coming at me, I knew it was going to hurt.

I dodged it. I counter-attacked with a knee to her outstretched arm. Not enough to break it, but it'd bruise nicely.

She shrieked and pulled back, glaring at me while she clutched her arm. "What the hell was that?"

"Um, sparring?"

"You almost broke my arm, you little–"

"Woah, language, Ravess. Children shouldn't use bad words."

Her steady gaze met mine. "Have fun, Jacklyn. While it lasts, because soon you're going to regret coming here."

"Already do – seeing your brother's ugly mug every day is exhausting."

Her fists clenched, and I wondered if she'd throw another punch. Instead, she spun on her heels and walked off.

Aerrow approached, pausing to look back at Ravess's disappearing figure. "You've certainly got a way with the women," he said to me with a big grin. "I haven't seen Ravess that pissed off since the hairdresser accidently dyed her hair blue."

My eyes widened. "Oh, please tell me you have photos of that!"

He shrugged. "I've got a couple lying around somewhere."

"If you guys had a yearbook, that would look fantastic in it."

"As long as you don't mix it up with the photo of me with my hair blue. Terrible cut, too." He looked sheepish.

"What!" I moved forward and flicked his wild hair to one side. "Why would you dye it? Natural redheads are a dying breed, you need to flaunt it!"

"If I had more people telling me that every day, I wouldn't have done it to begin with. Still, I only did it because Finn convinced me to."

"You trusted your hair with Finn?"

"I know..."

"I've known him for two days and already I'm sick of the over-gelled spikey hair."

"Nah, you get to know him for long enough and he'll grow on you."

I glanced away and muttered, "That's what I'm worried about." I spoke up. "Let's get this thing started."

Weapons was exactly the same as the day before: same activities, same routine. The only difference was that I found it difficult to avoid Dark Ace. Everywhere I looked, he was looking straight back at me. I focused on the training and teaching Finn blade techniques.

I took my time changing out of the Weapons canary suit, which was in even worse condition than the Combat one. While the other girls were quick to leave the locker room, I dawdled. I folded the canary suit to perfection, then shook it out and did it again. After folding it a few more times, I chucked it in the laundry basket at the back of the room which was collected every night. The suit lay on top of the others, a beacon of yellow on a sea of navy and grey.

Then I showered and changed back into my shirt and jeans. No pyjama shirt this time, just a plain white one.

On the way out of the building, I paused in the doorway.

What was I doing? Day Two of assignment, and already I'd lost sight of it. I was too busy avoiding one student when I should be looking into the details and suspects, which also happened to include said student. I'd slackened off. Led myself to believe that I really was a student here, that my grades mattered. For all I knew, as soon as my grades reached Creed, they were thrown into the recycling bin.

I had to make a decision, right at this very moment. Did I get close to Dark Ace and use his trust to get answers? Or did I simply search from afar?

"Why are you avoiding me?"

Startled, I shifted into a defensive stance and stepped outside.

Dark Ace leaned against the brick wall, arms folded across his chest. "You haven't talked to me since you ripped my shirt this morning. Which, by the way, you haven't apologised for."

I dropped my stance. "Sorry for the shirt."

He grimaced and stood up straight so he could look down at me. "Hmm. Somehow, I don't quite believe you. It didn't have the earnest and genuinely sorry tone I was looking for."

I didn't answer.

"What about my first question? You got an answer for that, or are you going to remain vague and silent?"

"Why does it matter if I am avoiding you?"

He sighed. "Normally, it shouldn't. But you see, yesterday I told you that Cyclonis wanted me to avoid you, and you tell me to put my wants into the equation. Now you're avoiding me, after I take your advice."

I stared at him. Close? Or far? "Why does it matter?" I repeated.

"Because I don't want to avoid you."

Close or far? I cleared my throat. "That's it? You don't want anything else?"

"I know I want to skip the rest of the day."

"Then we've got something in common."

He stepped even closer. "Come on, then. I know a spot."

He held out his hand.

Close or far? My breath quickened as I eyed his hand. Come on Kira, close or far? Make a decision!

I swallowed and shut my thoughts out as my fingers reached for Dark Ace's. His were tough, like mine, but cool. With my heart pounding in my chest, I let him lead me through the school and up a couple of staircases.

"What if a teacher catches us out of class?" I murmured.

He grinned. "I have this in-built teacher detector. Why, are you worried?"

"Not a chance."

We stopped at the top of a staircase beside a window overlooking the bushland surrounding the Academy. "Here we are."

I raised an eyebrow. "I've had better views."

He ignored me and instead stepped close to the window and jimmied it.

"What are you doing?" I hissed. "You'll set off an alarm!"

The window pane slid open and I tensed, waiting for an alarm to ring or for someone to find us. Nothing.

"I'll explain later," he said, swinging a long leg through the open window. "Come on."

I hesitated, still convinced a security guard was on their way here, wondering why some rascals had opened a window. When there was still nothing, I followed Dark Ace onto the roof outside.

"Are you afraid of heights?" he asked as he closed the window.

"No."

"Good. Because we're going higher."

I looked down at the ground, four stories below us. "Wow."

He started climbing up the drain pipe, or so it appeared.

"You realise that that isn't made to hold your weight, right?"

"Good thing I'm not using it then."

I shifted closer to the pipe and saw large metal hooks hidden on the other side of it. They looked strong and sturdy, despite the orange rust. "Did you drill these in?" I called up as he lifted himself onto the next rooftop.

"Nope. Found them like that." His head poked over the edge. "Are you coming or not?"

I grabbed the closest hook and started climbing. The hooks' points had been shaved off but it still looked like they could impale me on the way up. "Fantastic," I muttered, trying to forget the image.

When I reached the top, Dark Ace helped haul me up, and suddenly I was on top of the world. From the oval where we had warm-ups to the long winding driveway that led to the Academy; I could see it all. I could even make out the nearest public road with a few cars whizzing by on it.

"This is amazing," I breathed.

"Over here."

I followed Dark Ace to the furthest corner of the huge roof where an old tree hung over the edge, providing shade.

"I had no idea that tree was so tall! That's the one beside the gym, right?"

"The one and only."

"So what, you dodge all the teachers, climb through a window and up through the roof to... sit in the shade?"

"You've got to admit the view is pretty darn good." He sat down, crossed his legs and leaned back.

I joined him on the roof tiles. "Let me guess, you meditate up here."

He only chuckled.

"Then why am I here? Why show this to me?"

"Because this is where I go when I skip class."

"Right." Somehow, it didn't answer my question. I nodded to a nearby branch. "Have you ever tried jumping for that?"

"And risk falling five stories? No way."

I grimaced. "Point taken."

I laid back, looking up at the bright blue sky. "Do you know who put those hooks in?"

"No. Like I said, I found them like that."

"You're not at all curious as to who put them there?"

"I just figured it was a student from long ago. The hooks seem pretty old."

Had those hooks been there when I first attended the Academy? I thought. And what part of this adventure should I be telling Creed? I mean, there was a flaw in the security with the window and also a secret hiding spot on the five-storey-high roof.

"What about the window?" I asked. "Why did that open without setting off an alarm?"

He shrugged. "It's never worked before. School mystery."

I stared at him. "So you're telling me that Atmos Defence Academy, an impenetrable fort, has had a weak spot in its security... for years?"

"Yep."

"And you haven't reported it?"

His eyebrows rose. "Why would I do that and lose this fantastic view?"

"Because it means the Academy is vulnerable." I raised myself to my elbows, losing any trace of humour. "The Academy can't afford to have any weaknesses at a time like this."

His eyes shot to mine. "What does that mean? 'At a time like this'?"

I froze. Damn, I'd slipped up. "You know, when they have students to look after and such. There might be a raid and we're attacked by crazy ninjas all because you didn't report the faulty window."

He scooted over to me, half-smiling. "Crazy ninjas?"

"Can you predict the future and tell me otherwise?"

"No, but I can tell you it's highly unlikely."

"That still means it's a little likely."

He leaned over me, putting a hand beside my waist for support. "And how likely is it that I will kiss you right here?"

The air got caught in my throat. "Uh, highly... unlikely?"

He smiled. "That still means it's a little likely."

I waited for his next move, my heart racing. My eyes dropped to his lips and then wandered back to his crimson gaze.

Did I want him to kiss me? Did I want to kiss him? I didn't know. I was in completely new territory. Sure, give me an assignment to hunt someone down or protect someone from the local mafia, that I could do. But make a move with someone I met two days ago?

He pulled back suddenly. "See? Probably won't happen."

I let out a huge breath I hadn't realised I was holding. "Right." I needed a moment to get my befuddled brain in order again. "Right."

He grinned. "Don't get too dazed by my good looks, sweetheart."

I rolled my eyes. "Actually, it was your narcissism that did it." I looked away so he couldn't see the tension in my eyes. That was way too close. I needed to use this opportunity to pry into his guild's secrets.

I waited a good five minutes before speaking again. "Hey, there's something I haven't been able to get off my mind today."

"What is it?"

"Aerrow and Finn were talking earlier about some guild called the... the Interpreters?"

Dark Ace smiled, but it was tense. "You mean the Interceptors."

"That's the one! They were talking about how it disbanded and how they offered a position as a Storm Hawk to the last member."

"I'm not surprised, really. The Storm Hawks have always been on good terms with them."

"Is it normal for guilds to disband? I figured having a guild was like a family."

"It's not normal." He sighed. "Look, no one really knows what happened. I do know that Cyclonia opened its doors for anyone interested, though."

"Many takers?"

"We had a few." He shifted around a little.

I took in his discomfort. I'd been right. Dark Ace clearly knew why the Interceptors disbanded; it had to be the reason.

"I'm still wondering if I should choose a guild. I mean, are there ever students who graduate from here who don't join one?"

"I've never heard of it. Being part of a guild means being part of a family, like you said. They are people who you get along with or have similar interests or ideas."

I sat up properly. "What does Cyclonia stand for?"

"Hmm?" He looked at me.

"You said earlier that you believe in Cyclonis because of what she stands for."

"That's true," he said slowly, his gaze sliding to the tree. "Cyclonia is about... hierarchy, and respecting those above you. It means order and loyalty."

"Sounds intense. At least for a high school club."

He shook his head slightly. "You're new. You wouldn't understand."

"Ouch," I said with a grimace. "You're assuming a bit much there, pal."

He didn't say anything, still in a strange, almost dazed, mood.

"So if Cyclonis told you to jump for that branch there, would you do it?"

His eyes snapped to mine, focused again. "You're thinking about this wrong. She wouldn't tell me to jump unless the building was on fire and it was the only way down."

"Or maybe you've got a little too much faith in her," I muttered.

He shot to his feet. "You've got some nerve, Jacklyn."

He walked past me to the drain pipe and disappeared over the edge, leaving me completely alone on the roof.

"Good work, idiot," I told myself.

I'd pushed him too far. I only hoped there wouldn't be consequences later.

* * *

 **A/N: Part of the reason why this chapter took so long to come out was because I wasn't entirely happy with some of the situations and wording. If there's anything that stands out to you, let me know.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Yay, chapter nine! Sorry for delay...  
**

* * *

I was lounging about in my room when the siren for dinner went off. Before I could make it off my bed, the door burst open and Piper appeared.

She stopped when she saw me. "How long have you been here?"

"Since Weapons class."

"I see." Concern lit her face. "Not feeling well?"

"Nope. But I'm up for dinner."

By the time we reached the cafeteria, it was only half full. I spotted Finn and Junko sitting with loaded plates in front of them. On the other side of the room, Snipe was telling a dramatic story complete with hand gestures, while Ravess looked bored out of her mind. Her wandering gaze caught mine, and the look she gave me... Let's just say she wasn't going to be my best buddy any time soon. I smiled back, which only aggravated her more.

"I'll see you at the table," said Piper, her plate moderately full.

"Okay." I looked back at my own plate. So far I only had steamed vegetables and a juicy steak. When I spotted the pumpkin soup, I knew that's what I was missing. I quickly squeezed the bowl in on the plate, smiling to myself.

Pumpkin soup reminded me of my grandmother, who used to make the homemade stuff. Best soup in the world, without a doubt.

My foot hooked on something and my smile dropped as I did. My plate shattered before me and all its contents went flying. I lay stomach down on the wooden floor, momentarily shocked until I heard the male chuckling behind me.

"You should watch where you're going."

I knew that chuckle anywhere. I slapped the ground in anger before jumping to my feet to face Carver. "You got a problem with me?" I asked, stepping in close.

"I don't know, pyjama girl. You tell me."

I was so close to wiping that smirk off his face when I noticed that the room had gone silent. I looked around, all eyes on me. Dark Ace stood in the door way, a slight frown on his face.

I took a deep breath and looked back at Carver. "Oh, you've got issues all right. Exactly how long do you stare at yourself in the mirror?"

I shouldered past him, grabbing an apple on the way out. I made eye contact briefly with Dark Ace, but I had a feeling he was still annoyed at me. He didn't follow me, that's for sure.

I wasn't sure where to go. Everyone was supposed to be in the cafeteria, enjoying a hot meal and socialising. I chomped on the apple and made a split decision to head for the gym.

I threw the apple core in a nearby bin when I reached it, and looked for punching bags, which I found in the huge storage room. I wasn't tall enough to hook a bag onto its frame, so I propped it up against the wall and wreaked havoc on it. I wasn't punching just because Carver had pissed me off, or that I'd pissed Dark Ace off. With every punch, I gained a little more focus and clarity. I saw my assignment in front of me and drilled into it until I saw all the facts. It wasn't much. I wasn't sure where to start. I'd tried with Dark Ace, but that had only turned out to be a big mistake. Every other Cyclonian I had met hated me in one way or another, which left one option: investigate from the outside.

I needed to see the evidence for myself.

I shook out my hands, my knuckles feeling a bit raw. I swept off my shirt, leaving me in a sports crop top and jeans. The heat was really getting to me.

But the evidence – or "clues", rather – were the only things that Creed had found as odd. Finding out that the majority of Interceptors had joined Cyclonia was a clue, too, but to Creed, it wasn't odd enough to stand out. I needed to keep an eye out for more similar clues.

After all, what did Cyclonia get from so many new members? Was there a prize for the guild with the most members? Even if there was, it didn't feel like something Cyclonis would be shooting for. She seemed above that, like some almighty god.

Maybe that was it: she needed more disciples she could rule over. Was she that power hungry? If she was like this in high school, what would she be in the outside world? A freaking super villain with world domination in mind?

"You shouldn't let him get to you like that."

I swung around, sweaty and panting. "Aerrow. You surprised me."

He half-smiled. "Sorry. Just making sure you're all right. I saw you storm out of the cafeteria."

"I needed to clear my head."

"Clearly." He gestured to the punching bag. "Do you want me to hang that up for you?"

I smiled weakly. "That would be fantastic."

As he dragged the bag to the nearest frame, he said, "Is it just Carver giving you a hard time?"

"He's the only one who's done something like that, if that's what you mean. Thanks," I added, when the punching bag was up and swinging.

"No problem. So… you and Dark Ace are friends?"

I shifted into stance again, frowning at the bag in front of me. "I don't know. He's good to compete against." I threw a few punches.

Aerrow stepped closer, hands in his pockets. "I just find it weird that you're friends with me and my guild, and him too."

"What is up between you, by the way? Did he steal your lunch money as kids?"

"Not quite."

When he didn't reply for a while, I stopped and slowed the punching bag down. He looked conflicted.

"Spit it out," I said.

"Thing is, if you hear it from me, it'll sound biased."

"So state the facts."

"Right. Facts." He ran a hand through his red hair as he thought. "Remember how Piper said that the Storm Hawks used to be a bigger guild?"

I nodded.

"Dark Ace used to be a part of it."

I scoffed. "You're kidding."

"Nope. He was quick to join, actually. Beat everyone else to it, and probably became the youngest in the guild. I didn't join until second year, but by then something was changing. Or rather, he was changing the guild."

"Why?"

"Cyclonis had transferred here that year. I don't know what she filled his head with, but Dark Ace tried to change the Storm Hawks into something it wasn't, and it divided the guild in half. By third year, each half had split off from the other, creating a whole new guild."

I eyed him for a moment. "Don't tell me..."

"The new guild became Cyclonia."

I blew out a breath of air. "Wow. How many Storm Hawks were there before the split?"

"A few dozen or so. We've got a small group of members in second year right now, but otherwise you've met everyone."

I turned back to the punching bag and resumed hitting it. "So let me get this straight: the Storm Hawks split in half, and have lost and gained a few members since then. You have, what, a dozen members in total now?"

"Give or take."

"Meanwhile, Cyclonia has taken over half the school. How does that work?"

Aerrow frowned. "What do you mean, half the school? I didn't think their numbers were that big."

I thought quickly. "I've been doing research on the guilds lately, because I'm wondering if I should join one."

He pondered my words for a moment. "First of all, I'm not sure if I should be worried about those numbers. Secondly, I'm going to be upfront and say that if you want to be a Storm Hawk, you have to sever any ties with the Cyclonians."

"An ultimatum, huh?" I threw one last hard punch. "I don't know what to say, Aerrow. You and your friends have been nothing but kind to me since I got here, but I have a competitive streak in me which Dark Ace fills. I can't help it if I want to beat him at everything."

"My offer's not changing, regardless."

I sighed. "Stubborn, aren't you?"

He shrugged. "I'm guild captain for a reason."

"One more thing, Aerrow. Why is it so important to gain new members? What's the prize at the end of the rainbow?"

"New friends, for one." He scratched his jaw. "Reputation would be the biggest factor. Not just for the Academy, either, but for the future. What you do here is written down in the history books and that's what potential clients look at. As guild captain, I already have a higher chance of getting a job than someone who's not a guild member, like yourself."

I forced back a smile. If only he knew. "So being guild captain of the biggest guild would attract some attention, then?"

"Definitely. You got to wonder how Cyclonis is doing it."

"She probably got Dark Ace to draw up some pretty propaganda posters."

Aerrow didn't smile, clearly lost in thought.

"Thanks for the chat," I said suddenly.

"Hmm? Oh, no problem. I'll see you around."

I watched him leave while I growled at myself internally. That was stupid, Kira! Stupid! In my quest for answers, I'd drawn attention to Cyclonia, and now Aerrow knew the facts. He wasn't dumb. He was piecing it together right now. I couldn't have him getting in my way.

I glared at the punching bag before unleashing on it again, and finished with a spinning side kick. Back and forth it swung, like some mocking pendulum.

* * *

Creed wasn't happy.

She glared at me the entire time I reported my day. Once I finished telling her about my chat with Aerrow, I threw my hands in the air.

" _What?_ "

"You skipped two classes today. Do you think you're here on vacation?"

"I told you, I skipped to see if I could learn something from Dark Ace."

"Where did you go?"

I paused, hesitant. "Do you trust me?"

She leaned forward in her seat, her hands clasped before her. "More than most of the people here."

"Dark Ace has a hiding spot. I've decided not to tell you, because if he notices anything different the next time he goes there, he'll know it was me. He'll brand me as a snitch."

Creed paused. "I'm okay with this as long as it's not a security risk."

I averted my eyes.

"For god's sake, Kira! You're telling me there is a weakness in my security?"

"You have to trust me. I will tell you as soon as possible."

"You are here to find the threat–"

"It's not the threat!"

"It could be, eventually. Give me some clue so I can prepare for it."

I thought about it. "It's not away from the buildings," I finally said.

"So it's inside?"

I refused to reply.

Creed dropped her head, massaging her temples. A rare show of weakness for her. "For some odd reason, I thought this would be easier with you here."

"I'm helping you piece it together, aren't I?"

"Kira, I don't like not knowing. I need reassurances."

"Then give me a way to contact you directly," I said.

She stood and moved to a filing cabinet behind her. She opened the top drawer and pulled something out. As if a sudden idea had occurred to her, she opened the third drawer and pulled out something blue.

"Here's a mobile phone," she said, passing it to me. "It's got my personal number which is only to be contacted in emergencies."

I studied the phone. It was so old, it had more than three buttons on the front and no touch screen. "At least it'll be indestructible," I muttered.

Next, Creed splayed the blue thing across her desk – blueprints. "I want you to memorise these, and this." She pulled a white sheet from between the prints.

"I know the layout of the Academy."

"But you don't know the routines for the security guards or when they swap shifts."

I paused, catching Creed's gaze. "Why are you telling me this?"

"I want you to search the Academy tonight. See if you can find any more security risks or find anyone else somewhere they're not supposed to be."

"That's a huge job – I won't be able to do it in one night, Creed."

"Then do it in as few nights as possible, but get it done. I'll give you a moment to memorise this."

I stood over the blueprints and the guards' routines, committing every detail to memory while Creed looked at some other paperwork.

The routines were fairly methodical with the occasional random one. They were good, well planned, but the more I stared at it, the more I saw the small holes in them.

"Creed," I said sharply.

Her attention snapped to me.

"There are flaws in these routines."

"What?" She stood, looking at the information.

"This one in the science lab – it's not thorough enough."

"What do you mean? The guard tests for signs of entry, walks around the room and locks the door behind him."

"Do you know how many spots someone could hide in there? Does the guard even check the storage cupboard?"

"He tests the lock. But why would someone be in there in the first place?"

"One of your clues involved a lab mouse that consistently went missing, did it not?"

She frowned. "I only put that in there because it was an odd thing to happen. I don't actually believe it involves any risk."

I shook my head. "I'll look into it anyway. Secondly, the same goes for the Weapons building: the guard doesn't check the storage room. You found an extra gun not long ago."

Creed sat down slowly. "So you're telling me that someone knows of these routines and hides in the storage cupboards when the guards are nearby?"

"Yes."

"I must adjust these routines immediately."

"Hang on." I put my hand in the middle of the blueprints, stopping her from budging it. "I need to search this place, remember? Those hiding spots will come in handy."

Her eyes narrowed at me. "You're asking me to not do anything about _another_ security risk?"

"For now. Not forever."

Her jaw stiffened as she thought it over. "Fine. I am giving you one week to get this done. After that, the guards will have new routines, and you'll have to explain yourself to whoever catches you."

"Done."

"Have you finished with the prints yet?"

I looked over them one last time. "Yep."

"Good. I need a strong coffee after this."

* * *

 **A/N: Gonna try and be more consistent with the updates :)  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: The mystery continues...  
**

 **I do not own Storm Hawks.**

* * *

I lay awake in bed that night, listening to Piper's soft breathing from across the room. She was awake, too, but not by much. The only light peeked in from under the door, a night light in the hallway.

I couldn't get my thoughts in order. They rushed at me from every angle, all begging my attention. I focused on my chat with Aerrow, who'd revealed the reason behind his hatred towards Dark Ace. What was I supposed to think of Dark Ace now? Did Aerrow expect me to hold a grudge against him? If anything, Dark Ace had revealed that the members had had different opinions and beliefs; weren't guilds built from like-minded people?

"Piper," I whispered, "are you awake?"

She rolled over. "Yeah."

"What... what do the Storm Hawks believe in?"

A pause. "To be yourself, and to be happy with who you are. To be honest and fight the good fight, you know?"

"Huh."

"What made you ask?"

"Aerrow told me how Dark Ace had been a Storm Hawk."

"I see. The Storm Hawks used to be different back then."

"How so?" I asked.

She sighed. "Their beliefs focused around the concept of freedom and doing good. It's the reason I joined. But..."

"But then Dark Ace changed things," I finished.

"Yeah. He started talking about how our idea of freedom was nothing but anarchy and chaos, and that true freedom could only be found when there was order and control."

"Sounds intense."

"It sounds crazy! Somehow he brainwashed half the members with his lunacy."

I didn't reply.

She shifted around in her bed. "What's going on between you and Dark Ace, by the way?"

"What do you mean?" I said half-heartedly.

"Are you friends, or more than friends?"

"What? No! I pissed him off today so he probably won't be talking to me for a while."

"I just don't understand how you can hang around him. He's a jerk."

"No one's perfect."

"You're defending him?" she said, incredulous.

"Yes– no! I don't know." I sighed. "Look, I don't know what it is, but I enjoy his company. He challenges me."

Piper stayed silent.

I sighed again and rolled away from her. I was losing her trust, that much was clear. Nothing could be worse than a suspicious roomie.

There was only one way to gain trust. I waited a few more minutes. "Can I ask you something? Roommate to roommate?"

"Sure," she huffed.

I angled my head in my pillow a bit more, making my voice slightly muffled. "Have you ever met someone and just clicked? And it's as if you've known them since forever?"

At first I thought she wasn't going to answer. Then: "I feel like I clicked with Aerrow."

I smiled. "I'm not surprised, with the way you two get on. He's a great guy."

"He is." I could hear a smile in her own voice. "But in all seriousness, Jacklyn, be careful with Dark Ace. I don't know if you've noticed, but he literally takes orders from Cyclonis. If she asks, he will have no problem taking you out."

A little voice in the back of my head doubted that, regarding her words as simply biased. Piper didn't know Dark Ace; the Storm Hawks held a two-year-old grudge and didn't plan on looking past it or trying to understand or respect Dark Ace's beliefs. Both guilds made some sense, but I didn't fully agree with either of them.

It was that thought that kept me quiet. Instead, I put together a plan for tonight's recon mission. I figured looking into the destroyed greenhouse first would get that one out of the way, as I didn't expect to find much. The assignment file stated that a week and a half ago, a mix of paint and food colouring had been put in the watering system in an attempt to colour all the plants blue, but instead the plants had died within minutes. I didn't think the blue mix would have such an immediate effect, but I was no plant expert.

Next I'd head for the science lab. See if I could put two of the clues to rest so I could focus on the third tomorrow night.

I waited for Piper to fall asleep. It took close to half an hour, judging by the alarm clock on the night stand between us. I waited another half hour to make sure she was definitely sound asleep before making my move.

I'd dressed in my pyjama top but my bottoms were three-quarter leggings, soft and noiseless to walk in. I reached for the pair of socks under my bed, pulled them on, then tucked two altered hair pins behind my ear. I snuck over to the door and crouched, slowly turning the handle. I couldn't hear anything outside. I pulled open the door a fraction, waiting. Nothing. The area was completely sound asleep. I slipped into the hallway. The nightlight hung on the wall across from me, casting an eerie light across the pale walls. I crept out of the sleeping quarters, down a flight of stairs and towards the greenhouses. Night lights kept the corridors lit to a degree, but the shadows heavy.

I came across the first security guard when I was halfway there. His boots clomped towards me, echoing off the walls, but his noisiness only gave me more time. I approached the nearest door, which was unsurprisingly locked, so I took out my strange-looking hair pins. I'll admit, they were lock picks.

I had the door open within seconds and slid inside. It was my Languages classroom. There was no hiding spots in here. Fantastic. Maybe on top of the bookshelves? Beside them? Or under the desks? The... chairs?

Christ, I was looking for anything. Wait. I headed towards the teacher's desk. I couldn't hide under that because the back panel didn't reach the floor. But the chair was a comfortable-looking office one, complete with wheels and arm rests.

The footsteps got closer.

I sat in the chair and lowered it until the arm rests were well below the height of the desk. Then I crossed my legs and folded over until my torso lay flat against my shins, and pulled myself and the chair under the desk again. Thank god I wasn't claustrophobic.

Keys rattled in the door lock. I steadied my breathing as the door opened and torchlight fluttered across the floor. The guard moved towards the back of the room and around to the front.

I almost stopped breathing when the torchlight flashed on the floor beneath me. Every muscle froze, lest the chair creaked. The light moved on, but I didn't dare relax until the guard had locked the door behind him. I waited a bit longer until the guard's clomping footsteps had faded before pushing the chair back out again. I stood and stretched out my muscles.

I started off again, this time more confident of my movements. A positive outcome of coming across that guard was that it confirmed where every other guard was in the whole Academy. I made it to the greenhouses without any more complications.

The greenhouses were open to the students during the day, but during the night they were guarded with a digital lock. I typed in the eight-digit code, courtesy of Creed, and closed the door behind me with a faint click. There were four greenhouses, all lined up, but it was the fourth one that interested me. The door was taped off and barricaded with an A3 sign, no doubt saying "Keep Out" or something. I squeezed my way past it and into the room.

Moonlight shone through the thick glass ceiling and the plants created the creepiest shadows. At least, the ones that weren't uprooted. I walked to the furthest aisle of pots where at least two dozen plants lay in a pile on the floor. The one on top I recognised as a pumpkin plant, but even with its wilted leaves, there was still something odd about it. I plucked a leaf and held it to the moonlight.

It was blue. I knew the file had said that the plants had been dyed blue, but to see it for myself was the strangest thing. It was like seeing a blue orange – weird and unnatural. I kept the blue leaf close for evidence. As I studied the other plants, potted or not, I found only two common factors: they were all dead and blue. The water system controls were at the back of the room. As I flicked through the settings, it told me that it watered the plants every morning at 5am.

That meant someone had snuck in here at night to do this. The guards didn't check the greenhouses. They walked by them and checked the door, but that was it. If someone did break in through the glass ceiling, they couldn't get into the school anyway as the digital lock applied to both sides of the door.

I looked at the blue leaf again. The texture was smooth, and it mostly smelled like paint. I paused, and smelled it again. There was something else. The vinegar-like smell I figured to be the food colouring, but beneath that was something... sweet. Sickly sweet.

I gasped and almost dropped the leaf as it clicked. Poison. This was no prank; someone in the school had access to poison. But why poison all these plants? What value had they been worth?

A slight click caught my ears. Someone had just opened the coded door. I ducked low and crept to the end of the aisle and hid there.

What would someone want in the greenhouses at this hour? Was it the culprit who'd poisoned these plants? Was there more than one?

I stiffened when a figure appeared in the doorway. It headed towards the uprooted plants and out of the shadows. Female. Probably a student. Her hair was a dark blue in the moonlight, but I couldn't see her face properly. She grabbed the nearest pot plant and pulled it out with a shower of soil. Next, she studied the roots and fiddled with them. Once she seemed satisfied, she threw the plant on top of the pile on the floor and moved on to the next pot.

What was she doing? Was there something buried in the roots? The only thing I could think of were the roots and… seeds. Some plants had seeds underground.

After uprooting five more plants, I was certain she was collecting the seeds, especially when she pulled some flower heads off, too. I just had no idea why. I couldn't imagine the seeds being any good considering all the plants had been poisoned.

Unless she wasn't the culprit and didn't know that.

She yanked out a floral plant but gasped in pain and dropped it. A small gash on her forearm appeared, the blood black in the moonlight. She turned towards me to pick it up carefully, avoiding the thorns. Starling.

Literally no reasons came to mind as why Starling would be here, doing this. Especially in the middle of the night; couldn't this have waited until morning?

By the time she'd finished ripping out the far aisle of plants, I'd shifted behind the next aisle over, keeping my distance while keeping a watchful eye. Next, Starling headed to the back of the room, where a door hid in the shadows. Probably storage. She slid it open and disappeared for a moment before returning with a small wheelbarrow with a bag of something in it. She heaved out the bag onto the floor and started emptying the pots into the wheelbarrow. She was replacing the soil. She was freaking _gardening_ at one in the morning. How had I gotten caught here?

Oh, that's right, Kira, you thought this would be the easy one so you thought you'd just "get it over with". Easy as pie, right?

I couldn't believe how wrong I was. First the startling discovery of poison, now a midnight gardener. Who knew?

My muscles ached and stiffened after a while, and since I had no watch, I had no indication of time except for my own estimates. My body told me it took hours, but my brain said a maximum of two hours, until Starling finished up and put all the equipment back.

I waited for the click of the digital lock as it relocked the door and even then waited several minutes to make sure she hadn't hung back for whatever reason. I slumped to the floor, relaxing my limbs for a moment. I still had to search this place. Figure out what had happened the night of the "prank".

Keeping a wary eye on the greenhouse door, I approached the far aisle to see Starling's handiwork. After close inspection, it turned out she'd replanted the seeds, covering them with a healthy layer of mulch and a spray of water. No wonder it took so long – there were dozens and dozens of pot plants on the long bench. There was no way Starling wasn't emotionally invested in these plants, in this greenhouse. No one else would willingly get up at this hour to do gardening.

I turned back to the storage door and slid it open. A torch would have been handy as little light crept in through the skylight in the roof. Small gardening tools created creepy shapes on the walls and a voice in the back of my head told me to stay alert for spiders.

I stared at a dark shape in the corner until I figured out what it was – the watering system. I crept closer to inspect it. It must be destroyed after the paint going through it. A shiny sticker caught my eye. Angling my head so the sticker caught the moonlight, I read the manufacturer's name and date of the machine. It was literally put in two days ago, but if the previous machine had been the same design, it wasn't too hard to add anything to the water supply.

So what, someone poisoned the water and then used paint and food colouring to make it look like an accident? What exactly was going on here?

* * *

 **A/N: The mystery grows! Since most of the characters have been developed so far, it was way overdue.  
**

 **REVIEW! :)**


End file.
